Scars of a Demigod Heart
by Archduchess of Books
Summary: Hera decides to meddle in Leo's life and has the rest of the seven watch his memories. Mild swearing, some romance, and Taylor Swift!
1. Chapter 1

**Oh my gosh, you guys! I'm so sorry about all that, I clicked the wrong file, it appears. This is the actual story!**

 **-AOB**


	2. Chapter 2- Toddler Years

**Bonjour mes amis! For those who don't speak French, hello my friends!**

 **So this idea came up to me while I was reading BOO for the millionth time, and I read about Leo's abusive foster mother. Then I was messing around and found an old story I wrote forever ago about another OC of mine (I have so many…) and BA-BAM! Hope you like it!**

 **Also, I kind of need a favor from you guys. I just entered a statewide writing contest, and I am TERRIFIED that something's gonna go wrong. So some helpful telepathic wishing of good luck would be great! Thanks!**

 **Read and review, s'il vous plait,**

 **-AOB**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson. If you need me, I will be crying in a corner.**

 **General P.O.V**

Afterwards, all they could really think was _of course it was her._

It couldn't have been anyone but Hera that had made this happen. She seemed determined to meddle, no matter what. And of course, in her quest for the greater good, she ended up scarring innocent demigods.

But some scars go deeper than others, as six of the seven learned one night as they sailed toward Greece…

 **Hazel's P.O.V**

It was a completely normal night on the _Argo 2_. Percy was eating blue pizza (Hazel had learned not to ask), Annabeth was reading a book while leaning against him, Jason and Piper were talking as they ate, Leo was tinkering with something, his eyes focused on the table and his project, his fingers moving quickly, and Frank was eating some sort of Mongolian beef, his hand holding hers under the table. Hazel herself was bobbing her head to the music playing from the speakers on the wall. She had to admit, music nowadays was pretty cool… and then her music musings **(hahaha!)** went out the window when Hera appeared on the table in a clap of thunder that rattled the plates and cups. Hazel and Frank halfway rose from their seats, Annabeth went for her dagger, Piper and Jason froze, and Percy, having just taken a gulp of his drink, spewed soda over Annabeth's head and into Jason's face, earning himself a dirty look.

Only Leo's response was casual. After the initial and obligatory jump of surprise, he rolled his eyes and said "Hola, Tia. What's kickin'?" as he went back to his invention. Annabeth shot him a look, but Hera did a surprising thing and knelt in front of him, reaching down to lay a hand on his shoulder. Leo flinched at the contact and looked up at her suspiciously.

"I'm sorry to startle you all, I know you have a very important quest to get to, but there's something I need you to do. I have cast a spell on your chaperone, he will stay in his room, sleeping or watching those Chuck Norris movies, until I am done with you all."

The seven all looked at each other in complete confusion and more than a little apprehension, especially when Hera gracefully climbed off of the table to sit next to Leo, who leaned as far away as he could, nearly falling out of his chair. Hera ignored this and reached into the pocket of her dress. Sending an apologetic look toward Leo, she placed what looked like a police recorder on the table, took a deep breath, and addressed the demigods.

"It has come to my attention that you do not know much about Leo Valdez. I am here to change this. This device" She indicated the recorder on the table "will show you memories from Leo's life, memories that I hope will help you understand him better…"

 _BANG._

"NO! NO WAY!"

This was Leo. He had sprang to his feet and slammed his hand down on the table, and was now glaring at Hera with fiery eyes, practically daring her to continue. Anyone else, seeing that look on happy-go-lucky Leo, would have been scared, but Hera, unfortunately, was used to displays of male temper: she _was_ married to Zeus. So she shot him a quelling look, lifting a hand to cut off the rest of his protest, and continued.

"If you understand him better, then you will all be able to work better together, thus defeating Gaea faster. And perhaps, if you do this, then he will not refer to himself as the seventh wheel."

Six heads swiveled toward Leo, who had suddenly flushed red.

"The device is indestructible and will pause if you attempt to block the memory being shown in any way, so it is better to just sit and watch. It will also pause if you are not watching, so if he needs comforting, then the rest of you won't miss anything important. You cannot leave this room until the memories have finished playing." Hera was cut off as Leo's hair burst into flames. She eyed him nervously.

"Well… goodbye. Remember what I said." She said quickly and dissolved into white mist, leaving the seven glaring at her seat. Then, all eyes turned towards the device on the table as it glowed blue and projected an image above it: an image of a two-year-old Leo, hands covered in grease with a lollipop in his mouth, grinning at them all. His hair was weirdly choppy, like he had tried to give himself a haircut, and he was wearing a shirt with a picture of a shark. Inside the sharks open mouth were the words _insert snack._

Leo's memories had begun.


	3. Chapter 3-the Toddler Years Pt 2

**I apologize again for the mix-up, guys. My stupid computer did something weird.**

 **My conscience: Yeah, sure. You clicked the wrong file and you know it.**

 **Me: (furious blushing) No, I didn't! It's all the computer's fault!**

 **Conscience: Uh huh, sure it is…**

 **Me: Shut it! (tackles conscience) Princess, do the disclaimer for me!**

 **(My dog comes out holding a sign)**

 **Mommy does not own Percy Jackson. I am as certain of this as I am certain that the cat wants to kill me.**

 **(Princess walks off to nap)**

 **Piper's P.O.V**

"This is not happening to me."

Piper looked at her friend, concerned. Leo was staring at the image of his younger self, hands balled into fists, flames dancing through his hair. His fingers were smoking, and Piper noticed Frank eyeing his hands nervously. Percy stood up and reached for Leo's shoulder, wincing when his hand made contact: Piper guessed that Leo was radiating heat and touching him would be as painful as touching a hot stovetop. But Percy kept his hand there, staring into his friends angry brown eyes until Leo slowly relaxed, the flames sputtering out and the smoke lazily spiraling out of existence. As the boys slowly sat down, the image flickered to life.

 **(** ** _The memory is in italics,_** **I'll put their point of view in regular)**

 _Little Leo was sitting on a stool, swinging his little legs, spinning a lollipop around in his mouth, bright brown eyes fixed on a woman crouching in front of him holding a stack of cards._

At the sight of the woman, Leo let out a sound that was half sob and half yelp and buried his head in his hands.

 _"Come on, mijo, I know you can say this! You are so smart for your age." The woman encouraged. She held up one of the cards meaningfully. "Say it after me, mijo. Gato anaranjado, orange cat."_

 _Leo removed his lollipop. "Cat."_

 _"Yes! Very good!" His mother reached over to smooth his curls. "You were very bad to steal the scissors and cut your hair." She murmured under her breath._

 _Leo gave a devilish smile and made his fingers into scissors, pretending to cut something. "Scissors." His mother sighed._

 _" Very bad, Leo. Muy mal." With a sigh she sat back and again held up another card. "Say this one, mijo. Blue boat, barco azul." Leo licked his lollipop and examined the card before saying clearly "Boat!"_

 _His mother sighed in relief. "I thought you would grow up mute, Leo, gracias a Dios you won't. Try this one, this is a very hard word." She rummaged for a moment in the pile and pulled out one more. "Hoguera. Campfire."_

 _Leo studied the card, smiled sweetly at his mother, and burst into flames._

 _His mother screamed and fell backward, staring in openmouthed horror at her son. The flames were extinguished, and Leo, looking worried, climbed down from the stool and toddled over to his mother._

 _"Mami okay? Bueno?" he asked. His mother just looked at him, then reached out and pulled him into her arms, resting her chin on his head._

 _"I'm fine, novio."_ **(Sweetheart.)**

 _She stared up at the ceiling._

 _"Que otras sorpresas va a llevar?"_ **(What other surprises will you bring?)**

Piper turned to look at her friend.

"Was that your mother?" she asked, inwardly wincing at the lameness of the question. "She was beautiful." She added quickly, trying to help the situation.

Leo looked up and raised an eyebrow, though Piper could clearly see tear tracks. "Geez, Beauty Queen. I know you're trying to help but that question was lame. And thanks, by the way. Mi Mami was beautiful." He glanced up at the image, which had frozen again, showing his mother holding him close and gazing up at the ceiling. Then he shot a grin around at everyone else.

"After all, where else would I get my dashing good looks?" he asked, grinning and running a hand through his hair, flexing his other arm and making the Blue Steel face. **(If you don't know what I'm talking about, watch Zoolander. Yeah.** ** _That_** **face)**.

The seven were so busy laughing at his ridiculousness that they didn't notice the sadness in his eyes as he looked again at his mother's image.

 **Review Responses!**

 **Calefe-Thank you so much! I'm glad you like it!**

 **CrazyBlueOwl- Love your name, by the way. I'm defiantly continuing. And Leo is going to interfere with the device, but later. As of right now, he's still in shock and partly in denial.**

 **Elephantlover123- Thanks! And if you want to see the full Max Ride story, I call that one** Who Is Dylan, Really?


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello everybody!**

 **Thank you all so much for taking the time to read this! And thank you for the reviews! I love you guys! I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while. I had to move and my computer got disconnected.**

 **I'm sorry if anyone is OOC, I sort of write characters how I see them, and I am NOT Rick Riordan, which means they will be different.**

 **Disclaimer: Piper, do the disclaimer.**

 **(My cat gives me a bored look)**

 **Bad kitty. Do the disclaimer right now!**

 **(Piper casually examines her claws)**

 **(Gulp) I do not own Percy Jackson or anything made by Rick Riordan. Star Light, Star Bright, first star I see tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight…**

 **Jason's P.O.V**

The next memory started, and Jason settled in to watch.

 _In this one, Leo was about four, sitting on the floor of a living room with another little boy and pushing a dump truck around, making engine noises. The other little boy, who was a smiley four-year-old with short blonde hair and hazel eyes, pushed a fire truck over, making them collide._

" _Jack!" Leo complained, giving the boys shoulder a shove. Jack toppled over, giggling madly. Grabbing the fire truck again, he rammed it into Leo's truck and made a noise like an explosion. An evil grin suddenly spread across Leo's face, and he tackled him. Soon, the two boys were grappling on the carpet, squealing and giggling, the trucks lying forgotten._

 _An older girl walked into the room, holding a book in her hands and singing softly to herself. She had short blonde hair a little darker than Jack's and distracted-looking blue eyes. She looked about seven._

" _Jack, Mommy says lunch is ready. Leo, your mom says you can stay if you want, but please be quiet, or you'll wake up…" There was a particularly loud screech from Jack and a cry split the air._

" _Or you'll wake up Sarah." The older girl muttered. Leo and Jack stopped tussling and Leo grinned sheepishly up at her._

" _Sorry, Elizabeth."_

 _The girl waved him off. "Go eat, you two." She plopped down on the couch and opened her book as the two boys scrambled off._

"Ah, memories." Said Leo with a tiny grin. He seemed to have relaxed. "Jack was my best friend in preschool, but then he and his family moved. Poor kid, he had two sisters, and all he wanted was a brother, which, of course, is why he became friends with me." He grinned up at the image, which had switched to another one with him and Jack on a playground.

 _Jack was sitting on a swing and scowling at the ground. "Daddy says we have to. All his family and a lot of Mommy's family are down there." He shoved his toe moodily into the ground. "But I like it here. I don't know anybody in New Mexico!"_

 _Leo looked at the ground and sighed. "I'm gonna miss you." He reached over to hug him._

" _Leo!" His mother was calling him. "Let's go, mijo!"_

 _Leo sighed and hopped off the swing. "See ya, Jack."_

" _Jack!" called a lady who was apparently Jack's mom. "Get your sister. We have to go, the moving truck will be here soon."_

 _Jack sniffled and hopped off the swing as well. "Bye Leo."_

 _The two boys gave a sad wave towards each other and headed off towards their mothers._

 **Annabeth's P.O.V**

"Awww…" Annabeth said softly. "Leo, you were so cute as a kid!"

The cute kid in question turned burned-tomato-sauce red while Piper and Hazel giggled.

"Did you ever see him again?" Annabeth asked.

Leo instantly ducked his head, and Annabeth knew she had said something wrong.

"I saw him once." Leo muttered. "It was…not a good visit." His posture was one of defeat, as though the memory was heavy and rested on his shoulders. They all glanced at each other, unsure of what to say, before the next memory started up.

 _Leo was six and was sitting on the couch in front of the TV, eagerly watching_ The Lion King. _Pumbaa and Timon were just beginning "Hakuna Matata." Excited, Leo jumped up and ran to the space between the couch and the TV, where he stood for a long moment, waiting, before he burst into song._

"… _ain't no passing craaaaaze. It means no worries, for the rest of your days. It's our problem free, philosophy, Hakuna Matata!" he sang, in a surprisingly good voice for a kid. He was dancing around the space, before he suddenly noticed that his mother was standing in the doorway, looking at him and smiling. He stopped and blushed, before his mother grinned mischievously and started singing along as well._

" _He found his aroma lacked a certain appeal, he could clear the savannah after every meal…" Leo grinned and joined it without missing a beat._

" _I'm a sensitive soul, though I seem thick skiiiiiiiiined…" he sang. "And it hurt, that my friends never stood, downwiiiiiiiind." He barely stopped for a quick breath before bursting in again, sliding to his knees at his mother's feet and clinging to her calf. "And ooooohhhh, the shame!"_

 _His mother laughed as she sang along. "He was ashamed!"_

" _Thought of changing my name!"_

" _Oh what's in a name?"_

" _And I got downhearted!"_

" _How did you feel?"_

" _Every time that I…"_

" _Pumbaa! Not in front of the kids!" his mother admonished, grinning brightly._

" _Oh… sorry!" giggled Leo._

 _His mother scooped him up, and they danced around the room singing "Hakuna Matata! What a wonderful phrase!"_

Annabeth looked over to see Leo with tears welling in his eyes.


	5. Chapter 5

**Salut!**

 **I'm gonna try to update more often because a lot of people have asked me too: I'm really, really glad all you guys like my story! I'm also sorry it's sad, but this is Leo Valdez we're talking about! We wouldn't love him if his life wasn't so mysteriously and beautifully tragic, would we?**

 **Sorry about mistakes with the Spanish, I am relying on Google translate for that.**

 **Thanks for reading and for the reviews! I love you guys! Au revoir!**

 **-AOB**

 **Disclaimer: I keep forgetting to put this in. I do not own PJO or Leo Valdez, because let's be honest here. If I did, I would not be posting fanfiction on my own story.**

 **Leo's P.O.V (Oh yes I did)**

Leo hated his life.

He had never particularly enjoyed his past, due to Hera. Now she was making him hate his present and his future memories too? _Not cool, perra._ **(Bitch. You cannot convince me that Leo does not cuss in Spanish and Morse code because he totally does.)**

He had already had to live this once. He didn't want to live it again, with all of his friends watching. He was slightly embarrassed about the whole "Hakuna Matata" memory, but the sight of his mother's face was filling him with so much grief he wanted to curl up and bawl like he had done as an eight-year-old when she had died. And of course, he noticed Hera had skipped over the memories of her putting him in a blazing fireplace, making him poke that damn snake, chopping jalapenos…

Yes, Leo officially hated his life. But he hated Hera more.

At least these memories were okay. Happy, so far. It was nice to see Jack again. But he had a bad feeling that they were going to get worse…

Before Leo could knock on wood, the next memory began and Leo felt his vision wash in red.

 **Piper's P.O.V**

When the next memory began, Leo burst into flames and jumped up on the table.

Piper yelped and shrank away. Her friends face was set into an extremely scary angry face, his eyes literally blazing.

The memory didn't seem all that important: it was just a frozen image of a square room littered with machine parts. Leo and his mom were sitting at a table, curly dark heads bent together. His mother's eyes were narrowed in concentration, her tongue poking out of the side of her mouth, a red kerchief keeping her hair out her face. Little Leo, who looked about eight, was staring with wide eyes and a look of admiration on his face as he stared at whatever his mom was making.

Older Leo looked ready to murder someone.

"Leo…" Whatever Annabeth was about to say was cut off when Leo started yelling in Spanish, pulled out a hammer, and started whaling on the device.

"Morir! Morir! Morir!" he yelled. **(Die! Die! Die!)**

Everyone stared in surprise at Leo. Piper was wondering what he could possibly be so freaked out about… and then something clicked.

 _Room littered with machine parts… mom working… Leo's age…_

She remembered Leo telling them the story on Festus's back on their first quest, about how his mom had died in a machine shop fire that he believed he had caused.

Piper's heart hurt for him.

"Por que no romper la maldita cosa!?" **(Why won't the damn thing break?!)** snarled Leo, still pounding away at the device. Piper stood up, climbed on the table and stood as close to Leo as she could without getting burned or getting hit with the hammer.

"Leo." She tried. No answer.

"Leo, it'll be okay." She let some charmspeak trickle into her voice. Leo whirled on her.

"Do you realize what memory this is?" he snarled.

"Yes I do, and I'm telling you that we are all here to help you through it." She said gently.

Slowly, the flames extinguished, and Piper gently drew him off of the table, sitting him between herself and Jason. After all, they were the only ones who knew what was going on and why Leo had such a strong reaction to the memory. She wrapped her arms around him on one side; Jason did the same on the other. She gave the rest of the seven's confused faces a firm stare and gestured towards the device. The memory started, and Leo, stiff as a board against Piper, shuddered, gave a strangled sob and buried his face into her shoulder, his hands gripping Jason's arms tightly enough to leave red marks.

 _Leo and his mother sat there as his mother packed up her things with a sigh and an exhausted rubbing of her eyes. Leo held out his hand and touched her shoulder._

" _They've got to patent this, Mom. It's genius." He told her comfortingly, his childish voice containing the signature Texas drawl. His mother barely cracked a smile, her forehead resting in her hand. Leo looked thoughtful for a second before his eyes lit up and he nudged her gently._

" _Hey Mom, I'm a mushroom."_

 _His mother looked up, very confused. "You're a what?"_

" _A mushroom. People call me that because, you know, I'm a pretty fun guy!"_

 _The look of confusion became understanding and his mother burst into laughter, pulling him into her arms and burying her nose in his hair._

At the sound of her laugh, Leo shuddered again and Piper felt her shoulder grow wet. She rubbed his back gently, trying to convey that it was alright.

" _Oh mijo, you are so amazing." His mother whispered, kissing his head. "Your father will be proud of you, I'm sure." She gave him another kiss before standing up. "Time to go."_

 _They walked hand in hand through the warehouse to the door, which his mother closed before reaching into her pocket for her keys. A puzzled look came over her face as she realized they weren't there._

 **(All memory dialogue from this point until the end of said memory is Rick Riordans, not mine.)**

" _That's funny." She murmured. "I knew I had them." She turned to Leo, who was watching her curiously. "Wait here, mijo. I'll only be a minute."_

 _She smiled at him and walked back into the warehouse._

Leo was sobbing quietly on Piper's shoulder. Jason was holding him tighter and Piper was rubbing his back, both trying to comfort him as best they could. Everyone else was staring transfixed at the device, mouths and eyes wide in horror. It had clearly just clicked as to what this memory was.

 _The doors slammed shut, and Leo yelped in surprise._

" _Mom?" he called. "Mom!?" He ran over to the doors and yanked. When they didn't open, he tapped urgently on the door._

 _Subtitles appeared beneath the image._ _ **Morse code: You okay?**_

Leo was gasping, trying and failing to catch his breath, clinging to Jason like his arm was a lifeline, crying so hard that he was shaking from head to toe. Piper had abandoned rubbing his back and was clinging to him as hard as she could.

" _She can't hear you." A strange voice said._

 _Leo spun around to see a woman, dressed in robes and a veil of shifting dark soil, her eyes closed and a sleepy smile on her face._

" _Gaea!_ " came the angry hiss from four throats. Piper simply held Leo tighter. Jason was death-glaring the device on the table, which continued playing as though nothing was happening.

" _Tia?" Leo asked, looking extremely confused._

 _The woman chuckled softly. "I am no your guardian. Merely a family resemblance."_

 _Leo now looked scared. "What-what do you want? Where's my mom?"_

 _Again, Gaea chuckled softly. "Ah…loyal to your mother. How nice. But you see, I have children too… and I understand you will fight them someday. When they try to wake me, you will prevent them. I cannot allow that."_

 _If Leo had been scared before, he was now clearly truly terrified. "I don't know you. I don't want to fight anybody!"_

 _Her voice was like that of a sleepwalker in a trance as she murmured. "A wise choice…"_

 _An expression of pure horror crossed over Leos face as he suddenly appeared to notice that Gaea was asleep and her clothes were made of soil._

 _Gaea continued with her evil villain monologue. "I cannot destroy you yet." She murmured. "The Fates will not allow it. But they do not protect your mother, and they cannot stop me from breaking your spirit. Remember this night, little hero, when they ask you to oppose me."_

" _Leave my mother alone!" Leo yelled, shrinking back as Gaea shuffled forward._

" _How will you stop me?" she whispered, passing straight through a table to loom over Leo, who was standing in front of the doors with his arms held out, trying to shield his trapped mother. He looked absolutely terrified. As he stared at Gaea, something strange happened._

 _His little hands, clenched into tight fists, caught fire._

There was a gasp of comprehension all around the table.

 _Gaea's sleepy smile grew, like she had won. Leo let out a desperate scream as the fire spread, washing over Gaea, the walls, the doors. Leo's eyes rolled back in his head and he dropped to the floor._

 **(You may all take a minute to compose yourselves.**

…

 **Better? Good. Keep reading.)**

For a moment, there was silence. Then sweet little Hazel, sitting on the other side of the table, stood up, her golden eyes practically setting off sparks, her hands curled into fists.

"I _hate_ Gaea!" she hissed, before running around the table and joining in the group hug around Leo.

Soon everyone had done so, the image above the device turning black. Piper gently smoothed Leo's hair back as he caught his breath after his violent storm of sobbing, his grip on Jason's arm loosening. Seeming surprised to find himself caught in this web of support, he hesitantly tried for a grin, but couldn't quite manage it with tears still streaming down his face. What he did manage was a wobbly half smile at his friends before he bent his head and rested it again on Piper's shoulder.

"Thanks guys." He whispered. Another moment passed in silence before he added in a slightly louder voice "I don't want to be rude, but Pipes, you're kind of crushing me."

Piper instantly loosened her grip.

 **Percy's P.O.V**

Slowly the group hug disbanded, everyone going back to their seats. Leo sat up, wiped at his eyes, and gave everyone another half smile.

"How do you live with that kind of guilt, Leo?" Annabeth whispered. Leo only gave a slight shrug.

'You know it wasn't your fault, right?" Annabeth added, giving him a stern look that said _you better know that or I will hurt you._ Percy was quite familiar with this look, as it was directed at him nine times out of ten.

Leo, looking slightly scared, nodded so quickly he rather resembled a bobblehead. Annabeth looked mollified, but Percy noticed the slight shift in Leo's eyes. He raised an eyebrow at him over Annabeth and Jason's heads, but Leo shot him a look as the next memory began, a look that said _drop it, bro._

 _This memory appeared to be right after the last one. Leo was curled up on the floor in a corner of what looked like a police station holding room, staring absentmindedly at the wall. He looked up as a little girl around his age was ushered in by a young man who was apparently a social worker. The young man saw Leo on the floor, lifted him up, and sat him firmly in the chair beside the little girl. Leo shot her an apprehensive look. She was sitting slouched in the chair, blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail. She was wearing torn up blue jeans and a white T-shirt with a big silver star in the center. Over this was a green hoodie that made her pretty green eyes pop. The reason for the apprehensive look was that the girl was scowling at the social worker, arms tightly crossed. When the young man, whose name tag identified him as Matthew Jacobs, passed by her on his way to the door, she swung out one pink-sparkly-sneaker-clad foot out to kick him. Her toes barely brushed his thigh. He shut the door behind himself, and the girl noticed Leo looking at her shoes in confusion, as unlike the rest of her outfit, they looked brand new._

" _I was barefoot when I was taken into custody." She said matter-of-factly, holding out both feet for Leo's inspection. "They managed to get clothes from my closet, but I was poor before, so I only had one pair of sneakers. Some lady decided she didn't like them, threw them away, and got me these instead." She scowled. "I hate pink. And sparkles. I'm eight, not three. My names Anni, by the way." She added, the scowl disappearing as she held out her hand to Leo. Leo looked slightly dazed by this quickly delivered monologue, but he shook her hand anyway._

" _I'm Leo. Nice to meet you." He said._

 _Anni sat back, swinging her feet, tapping out a tune against the side of her leg, just as hyper as Leo._

" _How long have they stuck you here?" Anni asked. Leo seemed slightly more confident when he replied._

" _A few days. My mom died recently and I never met my dad." Leo replied. His voice caught when he spoke about his mother's death. Anni gave him a searching look._

" _I never knew my dad either." She offered. "My mom said he was lost at sea before I was born."_

Percy blinked when she said that. His mom had told him the same thing before he found out who he was.

" _What happened to your mom?" Leo asked._

" _She died. Cancer." Said the girl shortly. "I was six."_

" _I'm…sorry for your loss?" Leo said, clearly trying to break the tension. He hurriedly switched to another topic of conversation._

" _Why don't you like that guy?" Leo asked, gesturing towards the door. Anni sighed._

" _My auntie died a few days ago. She asked the police to take me to the Berkeley Hills in California, but no one lives at the place she described and she was my last living relative, so I ended up here. I used to live in Texas before Mama died." Her voice had the slightest twinge of a stubborn Texas accent._

 _The two sat there in silence for a minute. Then Leo spoke. "Whats gonna happen now?"_

 _Anni shrugged. 'They'll come back in here, talk to us, and bring in the people crazy enough to want to foster us." she replied._

Percy was slightly startled by Leo's soft laugh. "Typical Anni. A handful of words, straight to the point, throws in an insult along the way." At the six confused stares aimed at him, he shrugged. "What?"

 _The door opened, revealing Mr. Jacobs and a young couple whose eyes were instantly fixed on Anni, and a middle aged man who smiled at Leo. Mr. Jacobs cleared his throat and settled carefully on the table in the middle of the room._

" _Annaliese, the Mason's here would like to meet you. You'll be staying with them for a while." Anni's eyes instantly hardened._

" _I prefer to be called Anni, thanks." She said stiffly._

 _Mr. Jacobs ignored this. "Leo, this is Mr. Lopez. You'll be staying with him and his wife for a while, okay?"_

" _Come on, Anni." Mr. Mason said, holding out a hand._

 _Anni hopped down from the chair. "See ya, Leo."_

 _Mr. Lopez smiled at him. "Come on, Leo. I hope you like staying with me and my family."_

The memory ended.


	6. Chapter 6

**Oh my goodness! Thanks for the reviews you guys! I'm SO happy that you all like this!**

 **Review Responses**

 **Nerdycook24- I'm sorry that's confusing! Percy does not know Anni. Her mother's story about her dad is just very similar to what Percy's mom told him in The Lighting Thief before he knew his dad was Poseidon. Does that clear it up?**

 **Mjzero06- This is going to sound weird but I'm glad you cried when you read this. I love knowing that my writing can do that! I love Leo too!**

 **And to the rest of you, thanks so so much for taking the time out of your day to read this! You guys rock!**

 **Frank P.O.V**

There would have been perfect silence in the room if not for the sound of Taylor Swift's "Out of the Woods" playing from the speakers. Leo seemed to have an obsession with her music. **(The reason for this will be shown later, I promise. Besides, in my summary I promised Taylor Swift!)** Frank was still trying his best to wrap his head around what he had seen so far.

Of course he knew Leo's mother was dead. He hadn't known that she had died in such a tragic way, of course. He hadn't known that Leo blamed himself for the death. He felt suddenly awful about all the scathing things he had thought about the little pyro and shot him an apologetic smile. Leo looked surprised for a second before he flashed a smile back. The next memory began and the demigods snapped to attention.

 _Leo was sitting in an ugly green chair in a white office-like room. Beside him was sitting his foster father, who looked very apologetic and was talking to Mr. Jacobs._

" _Kay and I just can't handle him. He's an exceptionally bright boy, and the things he can make are incredible, but he's just so hyper and needs extra attention. Our daughter Hope has Trisomy 18 and we just can't care for them both."_ **(This is an actual girl that I know. Hope Elizabeth Harrison is 2 years old. She wasn't supposed to survive her birth. She's the sweetest baby ever and her parents are amazing people. Please donate to the Hope E. Foundation to help all babies with Trisomy 18!)** _Leo was sitting there, bobbing his head to some tune only he could hear, his fingers tapping on his thigh, his legs swinging. He seemed about nine. A black backpack sat on the floor next to him. He glanced over at Mr. Lopez, and there was the briefest flash of a tear in one eye before he directed his eyes back to the floor. His hand started tapping out a complicated tune against his thigh._

 _Mr. Lopez was still talking. "Leo is very gifted with math and mechanics, and it is my and Kay's belief that he is musically gifted as well: he loves to sing when he thinks we're not listening. We really wish we could keep him, this year has been wonderful, but with Hope's condition and his ADHD and dyslexia, not to mention the short attention span…"_

 _They both glanced at Leo, who was now leaning back in his chair, still tapping out the tune against his leg, his eyes fixed on the ceiling. He had taken a pen from Mr. Jacob's desk and was twirling it between the fingers of his other hand. He was mouthing words so quickly it was hard to make out what he was saying. The two men watched him for a minute before turning back to each other._

 _Mr. Jacobs shuffled some papers on his desk. "Well, Mr. Lopez, I believe I can ease your misgivings about giving him back. There is a woman who is very good with gifted children, I believe you may know her, or have at least heard of her. Teresa Brewer?"_

 _Mr. Lopez's eyes lit up in recognition. "Yes, I believe I met her in passing a few weeks ago. She seemed like a very nice woman."_

 _Boring adult paperwork was handled, and at the end when it was time to go, Mr. Lopez knelt to hug Leo, who hugged him back, blinking away tears. As Mr. Lopez left, Leo turned to Mr. Jacobs, holding tightly to his black backpack._

" _What's going to happen to me?" he asked. Mr. Jacobs offered a bland, slightly condescending smile and patted his head._

" _Don't worry, Leo. You're going to be just fine."_

"You weren't, were you?"

Even Frank was surprised b y the words coming out of his mouth. Everyone looked at him curiously.

Leo sighed and shrugged. "No, I wasn't. Martin and Kay were cool, and Hope was really cute, but he was right. It was just too much for them." He paused for a moment. "They were my last good home for a while."

"Did Teresa give you back too?" asked Jason.

At the sound of her name, Leo's face turned dark and his hands clenched, and every one of his friends watched as a shiver of fear rushed through his whole body and the next memory began.

 _Leo was sitting in the same office across from Mr. Jacobs. Not too much time seemed to have elapsed since Mr. Lopez had given him back. Leo was staring fixedly at the desk, Mr. Jacobs at the boring, generic wall clock on the back wall. It was absolutely silent until suddenly, the door swung open._

" _Sorry I'm late!" said a cheery female voice as a woman sailed in._

 _She looked like a model on the cover of a magazine. Perfect body that was showcased to perfection in a perfectly tailored black pantsuit, black hair swirled into a perfect French knot at the nape of her neck, held in place with a gold clip. Her ice blue eyes were startling against a black-mascara-gold-eye-shadow backdrop. Her red lipstick created the perfect contrast to her fair, blemish-free skin. Her pretty smile displayed straight white teeth._

 _Leo looked slightly freaked out. Mr. Jacobs looked like he was trying not to drool._

" _Miss Brewer, it's no problem at all." He said, standing up to shake her hand. "I'm very glad that you could make it. I'm Matthew Jacobs. This is…" He was cut off by Teresa's squeal._

" _You must be Leo!" She came over and crouched beside his chair, leaving little room for Leo to get up. He somehow managed to and held out a polite hand. "Nice to meet you, maam."_

 _Teresa flashed her perfect smile again and held out a French-manicured hand to take Leo's. Once she had it, she pulled him into a hug, placing one hand on the back of his head, taking care to make sure her gold watch didn't tangle in his curls. She held him like that for a moment before gently pushing him away, holding him by the shoulders._

" _It's nice to meet you, Leo. I'm Teresa." She used her fingers to gently smooth back his curls, which were slightly too long and hung over his forehead. "I hope we can be very good friends, Leo." She gave him a gentle, motherly smile before standing and going over to the other chair. "Well, Mr. Jacobs, I certainly do appreciate you accommodating me, and I am sorry I'm late. I was preparing Leo's room and it took more time that I expected. Now, how soon can he come home with me?"_

Percy piped up suddenly. "She reminds me of Aphrodite. And that is _not_ a good thing." He glanced over and frowned. "Leo, are you okay?"

This was a valid question, as Leo looked ready to go kill someone. His hair was spitting sparks and his eyes were practically burning holes into Teresa's frozen image. His fingers were tapping in rapid-fire Morse code on the table. His lips were pulled back from his clenched teeth, and he was muttering something in Spanish so quickly it was hard to catch.

Frank was willing to bet that whatever Leo was muttering was not friendly. And he was slightly afraid to ask what he was tapping out. He was pretty sure it would make his ears bleed. This woman… he wondered what about her would scare Leo this badly.

As the next memory started, he guessed that he would find out.


	7. Chapter 7

**Greetings from the land of the free and the home of the brave!**

 **Sorry, I'm feeling extremely patriotic. Expect another one like it come July 4** **th** **.**

 **Anyhoo, thank you all so much for reading this and for leaving reviews! I'm still fairly new to this site, so any review is welcome!**

 **Disclaimer: Hmmm, I don't THINK I'm a fortysomething dude who writes one of the best series of books ever. Let me check my birth certificate, because I'm pretty sure I'm a teenage girl.**

 **No one in Particulars P.O.V**

 _Leo was lounging on a twin bed neatly covered with a green quilt. He was wearing new-looking clothes, blue jeans and a black shirt that said "Always be yourself. Unless you can be Batman. Then always be Batman" on it in white lettering. His hair had been cut so it no longer stuck out all over his head in a crazy mess. He was drawing something on a sketchpad and humming what sounded suspiciously like "Part of your World" from The Little Mermaid._

Leo turned sunburned-sea-lion red as everyone looked at him, though he still appeared tense.

 _The door was flung open so hard it banged against the wall. Leo flinched at the sudden noise, his sketchpad flying off his lap._

The older Leo flinched too, digging his nails into his palms as he stared at the memory.

 _Teresa stood in the doorway, completely transformed from the perfect creature she had been. Her hair was all over her head, dampened with sweat and sticking out at weird angles. Blue eye shadow was smeared across one eyelid, and though she was wearing red lipstick, a streak of it had somehow ended up all along her cheek and on her teeth. She was wearing a short yellow bathrobe and, it appeared, nothing else. In one hand she held a fifth of Jack Daniels whiskey, most of it gone. She braced herself against the doorway with one hand and took a swig from the bottle with the other._

"That is disgusting." Hazel announced and was instantly hushed.

 _Teresa's bloodshot eyes wandered around the room until they landed on Leo._

" _You." Somehow she managed to slur the word as she lifted one finger to point at him. "Too much noise up here, you little…" She stopped for a moment before letting out a long, loud burp. Leo cringed back against the pillow, his wide eyes never leaving her. She took another swig from the bottle (only a swallow left now) and continued._

" _I told you... to be… quiet." She slurred. "You've been…very bad, Leo. What… happens… to bad boys?"_

 _Leo whimpered and a malevolent smile spread over Teresa's face, her icy blue eyes focused with sudden, sober intensity on the tiny form of the boy as he curled into a ball._

' _They deserve…" her voice was suddenly a purr "to…be…punished."_

 _Tears glowed like crystal in Leo's brown eyes as he said, in a voice barely above a whisper "Please, Miss Teresa…"_

 _Teresa grinned, swallowed the last of the whiskey, and swung._

 _Her slap landed on Leo's cheek. His hands flew up to defend himself. She grasped one slender wrist and yanked him off the bed. Leo yelped in pain and began to sob, in between the sound's of slaps as the memory slowly went dark…_

Hera had spared them the sight of the memory, but not the sound. Grunts could be heard from Teresa, and cries of pain from Leo. Occasionally, there would be another "Please stop, Miss Teresa!" from Leo, though those were followed with another, louder cry of pain.

Annabeth shoved Jason aside, climbed onto the bench beside Leo, and pulled him into a hug. Leo wrapped his arms around her rib cage, clutching fistfuls of her T-shirt and burying his face in her shoulder, as though that could protect him from the noise. Soon, every demigod was sitting there hugging Leo, all staring up at the screen with pure hate on their faces.

One thing was clear as the memory faded back in. From that moment on, Teresa Brewer was a dead woman walking.

 _There was the sound of shattering glass and the memory came back into focus, showing Teresa holding the neck of the broken whiskey bottle in her hand, having apparently just hit it against the bedpost. Leo, bruised and bloody, with a split lip and an eye already swelling shut, lay on the floor at her feet, his skinny body heaving with silent sobs. Teresa grabbed a particularly large shard of glass from the floor, seized Leo by a handful of hair, and yanked him up to face her, eliciting another yelp from him. She held the shard in front of his face, watching with sadistic pleasure as his good eye focused on it and widened in terror, then placed the point of the glass against his skin, on the soft, vulnerable place just under the curve of his jaw._

" _I could kill you right now, you know…" Teresa breathed, pressing the glass into his skin until a bead of blood rose, staining the glass ruby. Teresa watched it with her eyes half closed, her words slurring again. "Who…would care? Hmmm? Who would… want… a… lazy nothing like you…" She pressed harder and harder until Leo could not contain a yelp any longer…_

 _Then she tossed him casually to the floor, aimed a kick that missed by a considerable margin, then stumbled out, shutting the door behind her._

As the memory ended, everyone stared for a moment. Then, very gently, Annabeth gently lifted Leo's head and tilted it gently to the side, brushing the hair away to reveal that spot.

A faint white scar marked the place where the glass had cut him. Annabeth felt her own eyes well with tears for the boy who she considered a brother, and she pulled him into a tighter hug. Leo was breathing deeply, trying to control the tears. His fists, balled against Annabeth's spine, were shaking slightly as the next memory began.

 _It looked to be only a few days after the beating. Leo was sporting a swollen lip and a black eye. He was sitting on the floor of the room, a small first aid kit open in front of him and a black backpack beside him.. He was holding what looked like an Ace bandage, winding it expertly around his wrist. He began singing softly to himself._

 **(The song is Concrete Angel by Martina McBride. I don't own this either, because I sound like a dying cat when I sing.)**

" _She walks to school with her lunch she packed,_

 _Nobody knows what she's holding back._

 _Wearing the same dress she wore yesterday,_

 _She hides the bruises with the linen and lace, ooohhh."_

 _He paused, finished with the bandage, and put everything away into the first aid kit before he began singing again._

" _The teacher wonders but she doesn't ask,_

 _It's hard to see the pain behind the mask._

 _Bearing the burden of a secret storm,_

 _Sometimes she wishes she was never born."_

 _He scowled as he sang the last line, shoving the kit with more force than necessary into the black backpack. His voice grew stronger as he continued to sing._

" _Through the wind, and the rain, she stands hard as a stone,_

 _In a world that she can't rise above._

 _But her dreams, give her wings,_

 _And she flies to a place where she's loved._

 _Concrete angel."_

 _He hit the note, then continued to move around the room, his eyes narrowing in anger as he gathered clothes from the closet and shoes from under the bed._

" _Somebody cries in the middle of the night,_

 _The neighbors hear but they turn out the light._

 _A fragile soul caught in the hands of fate._

 _When morning comes it will be too late."_

 _Leo shot a resentful glare out of the small, high window, where another apartment could clearly be seen. He shot the middle finger over towards the window as he folded some shirts and a pair of jeans into the backpack, wincing as he put pressure on his hurt wrist._

" _Through th wind, and the rain, she stands hard as a stone,_

 _In a world that she can't rise above._

 _But her dreams, give her wings,_

 _And she flies to a place, where she's loved._

 _Concrete angel!"_

 _Leo held the note easily as he zipped up the pack, then became hushed as he tied worn Converse onto his feet._

" _Her statue stands in a shaded place,_

 _An angel girl with an upturned face._

 _Her name is written on a polished rock,_

 _A broken heart that the world forgot."_

 _His voice grew stronger and soared into the next line._

" _Through the wind and the rain, she stands hard as a stone,_

 _In a world that she can't rise above._

 _But he dreams give her wings,_

 _And she flies to a place where she's loved._

 _Concrete angel!"_

 _He stood up and swung the backpack onto his shoulders. He glanced back at the door, then headed over to the window, flinging it open. Going back to the bed, he pulled back the quilt to reveal that the sheets and pillowcases had been tied together to create a rope. Calmly he picked it up and hauled the rope over to the window. He began to shove the bed over too before a rattle by the doorknob made him freeze._

" _Leo?" It was Teresa._

 _Leo paled and began shoving more vigorously._

 _Teresa rattled the door knob again: Leo had clearly locked it._

" _Leo, what's going on? Let me in." More rattling. The bed was now by the window._

 _Leo tied the makeshift rope to the headboard and tossed the rest of it out of the window. He swung quickly onto the windowsill, looking back at the sound of his name._

" _Leo? Sweetie? Are you okay?" She was now knocking. "I didn't hit you that bad, you goof. Open the door."_

 _Leo's face hardened. He shot her the middle finger and yelled._

" _Ven a por mi, perra!"_ **(Come and get me, bitch!)**

 _Holding on to the rope, he climbed out of the window and scrambled down like a monkey until he reached an old-fashioned fire escape. He let go of the rope and jumped on the ladder, scrambling down until he reached street level. He tore off down the street, a happy grin wreathing his face as he ran away for the first time._


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey guys!**

 **I'm going to apologize for this later-than-usual update. I went on a week-long trip to Chicago and I couldn't bring my computer with me because I was babysitting. I like small children, but I know you guys were wondering where on God's green earth I was, so yeah. I was in Chicago. Then my sister hogged the computer because she's addicted to this game. Sorry again!**

 **Thanks again, so very very much, for the reviews! Love you people!**

 **Leo's P.O.V**

The last memory triggered another group hug. Leo was breathing slowly and deeply, trying not to cry again. His eyes were closed, his face still hidden in Annabeth's shoulder. Percy was hugging him from behind. He felt Hazel clasping his hand and Piper's hand on his shoulder. He didn't know about Frank and Jason, but he was sure they were there as well.

Why did Hera have to show this? Why did it have to be him? Jason had a traumatic past. So did Annabeth. So why were his memories the ones being shown? Why was he the one struggling to hold back tears? He knew he was weak. Why was that knowledge being reinforced? He should sit up, grin stupidly, and make everyone groan and laugh with a perfectly timed joke or pun… but it felt nice to be hugged like this, like he hadn't been hugged for a long time, the hug of a concerned friend.

But Leo was also pretty sure if he continued hugging Annabeth as desperately as he was now, Percy would strangle him.

Slowly, he sat up away from Annabeth, leaning against Percy. He could feel everyone's concerned eyes on him and he inwardly sighed, knowing that they now thought him weaker than ever before…

"Leo?" Percy's voice sounded beside his ear.

Leo took a breath. "Yeah?"

"I hope you remember her address, because once we kill Gaea, that woman is dead."

Leo's eyes snapped open as he was enveloped in warm smiles and "yeahs" from everyone in the group. A warm glow spread from heart and all through his body. They didn't think he was weak. They were talking about getting revenge for him!

Leo never thought he would be so happy to hear people planning homicide.

There was a grin on his face as the next memory started.

 _Leo's black eye and split lip were gone. He was sitting against a tattered sofa beside a brunette teenage girl, listening to upbeat music play, a tiny smile on his face. The edge of a Band-Aid could be seen where Teresa had cut him with the glass, but other than that he seemed to be okay. He was tapping his foot against the floor, singing softly along to the song._

"… _cause you can't stop the beat, ever since this whole world began a woman found out if she shook it she could shake up a man, so I'm gonna shake and shimmy it the best that I can today. Cause you can't stop the motion of the ocean or the sun in the sky, you can wonder if you wanna but I never ask why, and if you try to hold me down I'm gonna spit in your eye and saaayyy, you can't stop the beat!"_

 _The girl, chewing on gum, laughed and gently ruffled his hair. "You've got a good voice, Leo. Ever heard that song before?"_

 _Leo shook his head. ""What's it from, Amanda? It's catchy."_

 _The girl's brown eyes lit up. "Come on, I'll show you the musical. It's called Hairspray. It's really good!" She jumped up and sprinted over to a small wire rack next to a beat up television, where a small collection of movies resided. She removed one and popped it into the player. Then she ran back and grabbed Leo's hand. "I'll show you how to dance to it."_

 _The stood there in front of the TV as Tracy began singing 'Good Morning Baltimore.'_

 **(I love Hairspray, and Broadway in general, so this will be a recurring theme.)**

 _As Amanda taught him how to dance to the music, Leo's grin got bigger and bigger. When the song was over, they both plopped down on the ground, breathless from dancing and uncontrollable giggling._

Leo allowed himself a small smile. He remembered Amanda and the group home he had lived in. She had been the reason why he and… He yanked his thoughts back from the dangerous train they were taking.

 _Bad Leo._ He chided himself.

He made himself continue watching.

 _The song 'Nicest Kids in Town' began playing after a bit of time, and Amanda tugged at Leo's hand, pulling him to his feet as Corny Collins began singing._

" _Oh, every afternoon when the clock strikes four_

 _(bop-bee-ba, ba-ba-ba-ba bee-ba)_

 _a crazy bunch of kids crash through that door, yeah!_

 _(bop-bee-ba, ba-ba-ba-ba bee-ba)_

 _Well they throw off their coats and leave the squares behind,_

 _And then they shake it, shake it, shake it,_

 _Like their losing their minds!_

 _You'll never see them frown,_

 _Cause their the nicest kids in town!"_

" _Hey!" laughed Leo, who was trying to lead Amanda in a clumsy jitterbug. He put on a fake mad face. "Didn't your mother ever teach you that the boy is supposed to lead?"_

 _Something in Amanda's face closed. "My mother never taught me anything. She abandoned me when I was three months old on the steps of the courthouse. I don't even know if she bothered to name me."_

 _Leo looked stricken. Just then, Mr. Jacobs, followed by a matronly Hispanic woman with gray-streaked black hair, came walking into the room, arguing. Leo's eyes fixed on the woman._

" _El es el Diablo! I will not take him!"_ **(He is the devil!)**

" _Mrs. de la Cruz, surely you must reconsider! He is your nephew!"_ **(Anyone know Aunt Rosa's last name?)**

" _I will not reconsider! He is a bastard child who killed his own mother, my dear sister. I will not have my darling Raphael mixing with a child like that!"_

 _Behind the arguing adults came a chubby little boy, his eyes glued to a Game Boy and one finger up his nose._

" _Come, Raphael." The woman said imperiously, then lifted her chin to look at Mr. Jacobs in the eye. "Leo Valdez will never live in my house, or my name is not Rosa de la Cruz!" She spun on her heel and marched out. Raphael followed after her, removing the finger from his nose and scratching his butt before sticking in right back up there again._

 **(And there's Aunt Rosa. I don't like Aunt Rosa. So she is only going to appear in short cameos. At one point, I promise you she will get slapped.)**

 _Mr. Jacobs sighed and started to move back towards the hallway he had come from, flipping through a manila folder in his hands labeled 'Valdez, Leo.' Leo's brown eyes fixed with laser focus on the folder. He grinned and turned to Amanda._

" _I have an idea for how we could figure that out…"_


	9. Chapter 9

**CLIFFHANGER! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!**

 **I love yet hate cliffhangers.**

 **Anyhoo, this note is going to be extremely short, so love you guys! Review!**

 **Your promised patriotic note: And I'm proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm free!**

 **Great song, look it up.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize from the books. Anything you don't recognize, I do own.**

 **Percy's P.O.V**

" _I cannot believe we are doing this."_

 _This was spoken by Amanda, who was dressed in black, her hair hidden under a black beanie, looking around furtively. Leo, also dressed in a black outfit, (though he wore a black baseball cap) was standing in front of a door, pickling a lock. There a gold nameplate on the door that read Matthew Jacobs, Child Services._

"You broke into his office?" "Where did you learn to pick a lock?" "Why are you guys all in black?" "Why is she with you?" Leo, still leaning against Percy as they watched the memory, laughed and held up his hands, warding off anymore questions.

"Geez, you guys! Yes, I broke into his office. I learned the lock trick because Teresa used to lock the pantry door as punishment. If I wanted to eat, I was going to have to get creative. We are all in black because it makes us harder to see at night. And Amanda's with me because we are trying to find out her backstory."

" _Got it!" Leo exclaimed. "Come on!" He opened the door and slipped inside, Amanda following him. Leo instantly ran over to the filing cabinet that sat beside Mr. Jacobs's desk. He pulled a drawer open, rifled through it for a second, before turning around and presenting Amanda with a file._

 **(I have no idea if child services files actually work that way, but they do in my story.)**

" _Here you are, my lady." Leo said with an over-the –top bow. Amanda laughed as she took it from him. Leo turned back to the drawer and began to rifle through it. He paused for a second, his brow furrowed, before he removed another file. A picture paper-clipped to the front of the file showed that this was not Leo's._

 _The picture was of a blonde girl who looked about Leo's age. She looked strangely familiar. Leo studied the picture and the name above it for a minute before pulling it open and going through it._

"… _she did name me! They found me with a note on my clothes saying 'Amanda'! My mother named me… Leo, are you okay?"_

 _Amanda looked at the boy with well-placed concern, because he was staring at the file he held, his eyes wide, hands trembling. His knuckles had gone white from the force of his grip. "Leo?"_

' _We've gotta go." Leo muttered, still staring at the file. "Amandawehavetogorightnow." The last part was said very quickly as he shoved the file he held down into his jacket. Amanda looked very confused, but stood up and followed him out of the office._

Percy blinked, confused. "What scared you?" he asked him. Leo was sitting up straight again, watching the memory with a huge grin on his face.

"You'll see." Leo grinned.

 _The next memory was also at night. Leo was running through the streets, his black backpack slung over his shoulders, a red baseball cap tugged low over his curly hair. He was wearing a black hoodie and blue jeans, and was once again reading the file. The memory shifted so that the file was viewed._

 **(No idea how these are actually set up.)**

 _Name: Brown, Annaliese M. (Anni)_

 _DOB: April 8_ _th_ _, 1999_ **(at this point, both she and Leo are nine, almost ten.)**

 _Current Place of Residence: 444 Nameless St_ _._ **(great address, huh?)**

 _Foster Parent: Brewer, Teresa A._

 _Hair: Blonde_

 _Eyes: Green_

 _Race: Caucasian_

 _Mother: Brown, Julia G_ _. (deceased)_

 _Father: Unknown_

 _Leo paused, looking up to examine a street sign. Nameless St. it said, and an apartment building right next to it had the brass number 444 arranged on a column._

 _A wide grin split Leo's face._

 _He ran into a narrow alley beside the building and looked up. Above his head, there was a light on in a fourth-floor window. And two windows directly beneath the window was a rickety metal fire escape._

There was a gasp of comprehension among the demigods. Percy gripped Leo's shoulder and grinned at him.

 _The fire escapes ladder was down, and Leo easily scrambled up. Once on the platform, Leo pulled off his backpack, knelt, and rummaged through it for a second before removing what looked like a short metal stick._

"What are you gonna do with that?" Hazel asked.

 _Leo unfolded the stick, revealing it to be a foldable tent pole with a hook attached with twine to one end. He used this to pull at the bolts holding the bottom half of the ladder, then hooked the top rung of the ladder with the hook once the bolts were loose. Then, with some leverage, he pulled the ladder up onto the platform with him._

Leo grinned over at Hazel. "I'm gonna do that."

 _The ladder was tall enough that, when Leo rested it against the side of the building, it reached to just beneath the lighted window. Leo scrambled up like a monkey and peered in._

 _A young girl, blonde hair hanging over half of her face, was sitting curled up on the bed, knees pulled up to her chest, shoulders shaking with silent sobs. Her hands were curled into fists around her calves._

 _Leo studied this sad spectacle_ **(I love alliteration!)** _for a moment, before he tapped_ _gently on the window._

 _The girl looked up, revealing a black eye and a long scratch along her cheekbone. She shot a fearful glance at the door, then slid off of the bed and ran on tiptoe to the window. She fiddled with the catch before shoving the lower half of the window open._

" _Who are you? What are you doing here?" she asked in a harsh whisper. Leo grinned at her and placed his hand on the screen._

" _I know what it's like living here. I'm here to get you out."_

 _The girl's eyes widened with recognition and relief. "One second."_

 _She ran around the room, grabbing stuff and shoving it into a blue backpack. When this was done, she pulled on a purple jacket and pushed out the screen as Leo scrambled down the ladder and held it for her. She climbed out of the window and down the ladder, pausing to shoot the middle finger towards her window, before she and Leo, carefully reattaching the ladder, climbed down and ran into the night, pausing only for quick introductions._

" _I'm Leo."_

" _Nice to meet you, Leo. I'm Anni."_


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey guys!**

 **I'm sorry if you thought this was an update. This is an apology. I am going on a mission trip to South Dakota insanely early in the morning and I won't be able to update until I get back, probably even a few days after I get back so I can recover. We're going to be building houses! While I love doing nice things for people and I love love LOVE my youth group, I am going to be exhausted. So sorry again! Love you guys, and I promise a really long update when I get back!**


	11. Chapter 11

**I'M BAAAAACK!**

 **Didya miss me, you guys? I know Fangirl2017 did. She PMed me asking if I was home and to please update.**

 **Well, here it is, Fangirl2017. And I had fun on my trip, thanks for asking.**

 **My next ten reviewers get an advertisement for one of their stories in my next A.N., so REVIEW!**

 **Disclaimer-Mirror mirror on the wall, will I ever own PJO at all?**

 _ **Mirror**_ **-AOB, you are a fangirl, true, but PJO will never belong to you.**

 _ **Me**_ **-Darn. Will I get a different answer if I ask the number eight ball thingy?**

 _ **Mirror**_ **\- No. Get writing.**

 _ **Me**_ **\- Geez, bossy.**

 **Annabeth P.O.V**

"Hey! Her again!"

Six demigods pointed at the image of the two nine-year-olds grinning and shaking hands. Leo was watching it with a small, happy smile on his face.

"Yeah. She was my best friend." Leo explained. Annabeth noticed the 'was' in there and noticed that his smile had slipped a little, but it flew out of her mind when the next memory started.

 _Leo and Anni came sprinting into an alley and promptly collapsed against the wall, Anni clutching at a stitch in her side, Leo cradling his wrist to his chest. They sat there for a second, breathing hard, before Anni pulled herself up a bit to poke her head around the corner. Leo pulled his wrist away from his chest to examine it._

" _All clear." Anni sighed. "Stupid jerk." She turned to Leo. "How's the wrist?"_

" _He grabbed my arm and twisted it." Leo explained, examining his wrist critically. He flexed it and winced. "It's not that bad, but it hurts when I do this." He added, flexing it to the other side._

 _Both kids were dirty and lean. Anni's blonde hair stuck out all around her head, and there was what looked like a Jolly Ranchers wrapper and a piece of napkin tangled in her hair. Her jeans were filthy, worn at the knees, and frayed at the cuffs. She was wearing an old pair of sneakers._

 _Leo wasn't much better. His hair was trash free, but he was wearing a ratty yellow T-shirt with a smiley face on it. The shirt was streaked with grime and several rips showed in the fabric. He was wearing a hoodie that seemed to be several sizes too big for him: the hem almost reached to his knees and the sleeves had been rolled back multiple times so his hands could show. His jeans and sneakers were in about the same state as Anni's. Both kids still held their backpacks, though they seemed to be much fuller then they had last time they had been seen. Anni's black eye and the scratch along her cheek were gone._

 _Anni reached over and took Leo's wrist, pressing firmly with her thumb in different places, examining his face for signs of pain. When none showed, she grinned at him and let him pull his wrist back._

" _You'll be fine." She told him. "You're Leo-freaking-Valdez." She reached over to lightly punch him in the shoulder before turning to retrieve her bag. "Come on, show me what you got."_

Six quizzical faces turned towards Leo, who sighed.

"This was a couple months after I helped her escape. We had been living on the streets ever since. We had just stolen something from some guy's store: he always had a cart of 'fresh produce' for a reduced price out front. It was anything but fresh: it was the produce from inside that hadn't sold well and so he put it outside. We just snatched stuff and ran. He nearly caught us this time, that's all. But because we were basically just grabbing stuff and running, we never saw what the other got."

 _Anni dug through her bag, holding up things like carrots and apples, before stopping and turning slightly red._

" _Leo?" she said, sounding suddenly timid. "Do you, um, remember that guy we talked to a couple of days ago?"_

 _Leo looked up from his bag. "That weird teenage gang kid? Whats-his-name… Nick?"_

" _Yeah, him."_

" _Yeah, I remember him. Why?"_

 _Anni blushed a little more but defiantly thrust her hand into her bag and removed a box, which she tossed to Leo._

 _It was a box of Marlboro cigarettes. Leo's eyes widened so far they resembled dinner plates._

" _You actually did it!" he gasped. "When?" Anni looked relieved that he wasn't yelling at her and settled herself from a crouch to her knees._

" _Earlier, when we stopped by that gas station. Some clerk left it on the counter, so I just grabbed it as we left." Leo looked a little worried, still looking down at the cigarettes in his hand._

" _Do we really have to do it, Anni?" he asked. Anni nodded, her face serious._

" _We need protection, Leo. And he said if we got him cigarettes he would give us protection. I don't like it either, but we need somewhere safe to sleep if we are going to stay out here. All this food is our first meal in days. Face it, buddy, we_ _need_ _Nick."_

 _Leo looked at the box for a second, then grinned and tossed it back to Anni._

" _Your right. As always." Anni grinned and stood up, swinging her bag onto her back and holding out a hand to help Leo up._

" _I'm always right, bird brain. Figure that out. It'll make life so much easier."_

 _She slung an arm around Leo's shoulder as he got up. He wrapped his arm around her waist, and together, laughing like best friends will do, they left the alley._

 **On a more serious note:**

 **Guys, I need prayers for the families of the police officers killed in Dallas and Baton Rouge. Let's stop this madness before it gets any worse! ALL LIVES MATTER!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hello, my lovely readers!**

 **I have a very special thank you for Mjzero06, who has given a lot of support since this story started.**

 **Sorry the last chapter was short, this one will be longer, I promise.**

 **WARNING: MATURE THEMES AHEAD. Underage drinking and smoking mentioned, as well as gang activity and violence. If this offends you, skip this chapter. You have been warned.**

 **AOB ENTERPRISES DOES NOT SUPPORT UNDERAGE DRINKING, SMOKING, OR GANG ACTIVITY/VIOLENCE.**

 **Disclaimer: If I owned PJO, I wouldn't be worried about buying an apartment when I move out, and the only person I hate would be living in Russia, far, far away from me.**

 **General P.O.V.**

Everyone was looking slightly confused. It was Hazel who spoke up first.

"What did you need protection from? And why did you have cigarettes? Who was Nick?" Leo sighed and leaned on the table.

"We were two nine-year-olds on the streets. We needed protection from everything. Nick was this gang kid who told us if we got him a pack of cigarettes he would give us the protection we needed. We were hungry with no safe place to sleep. If all we needed to do to get those things was steal a pack of cigarettes, then we were going to steal the cigarettes, consequences be damned."

A crackling sound from the projector alerted everyone to the next memory starting.

 _Anni and Leo were standing against a building, looking nervously around the corner and down the street a little ways, where a group of about five teenage kids stood around laughing, leaning against a chain-link fence, pushing each other and laughing loudly. One girl lifted a bottle, took a swig from it, and stumbled into a guy standing next to her, still laughing. In one of Anni's hands was clutched the pack of cigarettes._

 _Leo took a deep breath and grabbed her free hand. "Come on, Anni."_

 _Together, they headed down the street towards the teens._

 _A girl in very short jean shorts and a neon orange fishnet top noticed them first._ **(I know almost nothing about fashion. The only reason I know about gang stuff is because I read this book called** _ **Run Baby Run**_ **. So I'm sorry about any inaccuracy.)** _Under the top she was wearing nothing but a bright blue bra. Extremely high black heels accentuated the outfit. She nudged a couple other people near her. Soon, the entire group of people were looking at the two nine-year-olds moving down the sidewalk toward them. Leo's footsteps faltered and Anni's grip on his hand tightened._

 _Suddenly a tall teenage boy with wavy black hair and a tattoo of a snarling leopard on his bicep grinned and pushed forward to be at the front._

" _Hey! Wondered when I'd see you two again." he told them. He held out his hand. "You got my cigs?"_

 _A trembling Anni stepped forward and deposited the cigarettes in his palm._

" _Thanks darlin." The boy drawled, reaching over to mess up Leo's hair. He dodged his hand. The boy laughed._

" _Check it out, guys. This Anni and Leo. They want protection." Now he addressed Anni and Leo directly. "Now, I'm glad to give. But Nick needs something from you two before, you dig?"_

 _Anni and Leo both did bobblehead impersonations. Nick grinned._

" _Ya see, I can't get these good no more." He informed them. "Damn cops know my face, see. But you two… now you two are like smoke. Im gonna need you to do a little somethin for me. Every time I ask, you steal. Savvy?"_

 _This time Anni spoke. "Yeah." Leo nodded next to her._

" _Well, then, we're square." Nick grinned. "Lemme introduce you to the gang. This Lila" the girl in the orange shirt "Levi" a kid with a green Mohawk "Skull" a kid with a skull tattooed on his shaved head "Riley" a girl wearing ripped up black jeans and an army green tank top, with dark and dramatic makeup on. "You need anything, come to one of us, got it?"_

" _Got it." Anni and Leo chorused._

 _Lila smiled and stepped up next to Nick. "Come here, sugar bee." She said, gesturing to Leo. 'Ain't you just the damn cutest thing." She ruffled Leo's messy curls as he came up beside her. "Hey, Nicky my boy. Got a light, baby?" The other girl, Riley, didn't seem to talk much, but she smiled at Anni and gestured to her, letting the little girl lean next to her._

" _You got nice hair." She told Anni, accepting a cigarette from Skull, who now had the box and was passing them out. "All long and blonde. You ever lit one of these?" At Anni's negative nod, Riley pulled a lighter out of her pocket and showed Anni how to flick it before Riley lit the cigarette, putting it to her lips and pulling the smoke into her lungs, closing her eyes._

" _Doncha worry, kids." Nick told them, blowing out a mouthful of smoke from his own cigarette. "Keep doing this, and you'll do just fine."_

 **(Well? How'd I do?)**

"HOLD ON A SECOND!"

Annabeth jumped up and spun to look at Leo. "You agreed to _steal stuff_ for those kids?!" Leo glared up at her, also getting to his feet.

"We didn't have a choice, Annabeth!" he snarled. "Nick and his buddies may have asked us to do something illegal, yes, but when you're that scared, you will do anything to stay alive! I would prefer it if none of you all judged me!" he added, glaring around the room at the rest of the seven, all of whom looked uncomfortable.

"It's still wrong!" Annabeth snapped. Leo glared at her.

'I've done worse."

And on that ominous note, the next memory began.

 _Leo was standing on his own in front of Nick, looking absolutely terrified._

" _I-I di-didn't m-mean it, N-Nick, I s-swear!" he stammered, shaking from head to toe. Skull placed a heavy hand on Anni's shoulder, holding her in place as she tried to step forward. She shot a confused, apprehensive look at him but kept silent, watching the exchange with wide eyes._

 _Nick was shaking his head, spinning a pocketknife between his fingers. It was one of those with a black handle and a blade that locked in place. This was a big knife too, the lights of the room glinting off of the blade, reflected in Leo's eyes. He was worrying his bottom lip between his teeth as he stared at Nick, his eyes periodically flicking to the knife being spun. Nick was somehow managing not to cut himself. He noticed Leo looking and smiled._

" _You like my knife, Leo?" he asked, leaning forward to show it to him. It was an impressive looking knife, with a razor-sharp half-serrated blade painted gold and a long black hilt. The blade could be folded back into the hilt. Nick closed the knife, leaned closer to Leo, and flicked it open, right in front of Leo's nose. "Listen Leo. I ask for something, I want it, savvy? Specially if what I want is weed. I don't need smart mouth kids who tell the world who ordered the weed, or kids who can't run fast enough to outrun the cops. So here's whats gonna happen, Leo." Nick sat back and gestured towards the wall._

" _Go over there and stand against it, facing me."_

 _Leo obeyed, trembling but trying desperately to look brave. Noticing Nick still playing with the knife, Leo took a deep breath and, seemingly with a great effort, unclenched his hands from fists to press his palms against the wall, fingers splayed._

" _Now here's whats gonna happen, Leo. We're gonna play a game of chicken. You're gonna stand there while I throw three knives at you. If you don't flinch and run, even if the knife sticks you, you clear. If you run… well then, baby, you better hope I don't ever see you round here again, or I'll cut out your belly button with a corkscrew. You dig?"_

 _Leo nodded._

 _Nick gestured to Skull, who still had his hand on Anni's shoulder. Skull instantly yanked backwards, wrapping his arm around Anni's waist and grasping her other arm in his hand. He covered her mouth with his other hand._

" _Keep her there, Skull. One move to bite him or to escape, Anni, and Leo gets four knives thrown at him. Clear?"_

It seemed stupid to the demigods to have big, burly Skull hold back Anni, who couldn't have hit four foot and probably weighed fifty pounds, but that didn't seem to be a problem for Nick.

 _Anni glared at Nick over Skulls hand before her eyes flicked to Leo, standing against the wooden wall with his lips compressed, taking deep, shaky breaths. Levi stepped forward, shooting an apologetic look at Leo, and handed Nick two more knives like the one he held. Nick calmly unfolded all three knives and held one up, a simple number with a silver blade and handle. He grasped the handle and held it up to his shoulder, saying one word that echoed in the suddenly silent room._

" _One."_

 _The knife flew through the air and embedded itself in the wall next to Leo's head. One dark curl, sheared off, drifted to the ground._

 _Nick took up another knife and spoke again._

" _Two."_

 _This knife hit the wall right next to Leo's throat, just above his shoulder. Another centimeter down or two the right and it would have cut him. Leo's eyes were wide and scared, his breaths trembling. He was shaking with the effort not to move, flinch, or make a noise as Nick lifted the last knife, the one with the golden blade._

" _Three."_

 _The knife flew through the air and embedded itself through Leo's right hand._

 _Leo went absolutely white, and he gasped, staring straight ahead. Blood dripped slowly from the wound to the end of his fingers before falling to the floor. Nick stared right at him, cold and unfeeling, before he nodded at Skull._

 _Anni flew out of Skull's grip and straight to her friend, where she grasped the knife and yanked on it, trying to get it out of his hand. She turned and glared at Nick, her green eyes hard and cold as ice._

" _It was just weed, Nick." She snarled. Nick raised an eyebrow and shrugged._

" _Maybe to you, Anni, it was just weed. To me, it was a failure." He got up and left the room, everyone else following him as Anni pulled at the knife._

 _The blade had gone completely through his hand, landing between Leo's index and middle fingers, right between the bones, before embedding itself in the wall. Anni finally managed to get it free, sobbing all the while. By this time, there was a pool of sticky blood on the floor. Leo lifted his hand, stared at it, and slumped against the wall, hand shaking violently. Anni grabbed for the hem of her too-big t-shirt, ripping a length of cloth away from it and beginning to bind Leo's hand. Leo hissed between his teeth._

" _I'm sorry, I know it hurts." Anni whispered, wiping furiously at her cheeks._

 _The door opened and Anni whipped around, crouching protectively in front of him. Riley, standing at the door with a bottle and a roll of something in her hand, paused, and then came forward._

" _I knew something like this would happen." She muttered, and handed Anni the bottle. "It's peroxide. It'll clean it good, but it'll sting like hell." She took Leo's hand, unwrapped the makeshift bandage, and unscrewed the cap before pouring the bottle over Leo's palm and hand._

 _Leo yelped and tried to jerk his hand away, but Riley's grip on his wrist was strong and he got the treatment over the back of his hand and over his palm. The edges of the wound turned white and frothy before she stopped and bound the hand with the Ace bandage she had carried inside before she got up and left. Leo, still shaking, covered his eyes with his good hand. Anni leaned forward and hugged him, and Leo gently wrapped his arm around her ribs, eyes still shut._

The memory froze there, Anni's eyes closed and tears still trickling down her face, Leo with his injured hand unmoving, his good hand grabbing at Anni's shirt, like he needed a reminder of reality. The demigods stared, lost for words, while Leo stared at the back of his hand, where a long white scar stood out against his skin.


	13. Chapter 13

**Oh. My. Goodness.**

 **So. Many. REVIEWS!**

 **I'm so happy you all like my story! I didn't think so many people would like it when I first started it! Love you guys! You all are awesome!**

 **Professional-fangirl-pjo-hoo: OF COURSE! You have my permission to do that! It makes me so happy that you like it that much!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not PJO…or do I? (maniacal laugh) Seriously though, I don't own.**

 **Annabeth's P.O.V**

Guilt coiled deep in Annabeth's stomach.

"Leo, I'm so sorry." She whispered, ignoring the blow apologizing gave to her pride.

He looked up from the back of his hand and gave her a swift half smile, shrugging one shoulder. "It's okay. You didn't know."

Annabeth leaned closer to see the scar on his hand.

It wasn't all that long, but it was noticeable, standing out white against his tan skin. He turned his hand over so Annabeth could see the scar on his palm, where the tip of the knife had exited. The little snake of guilt reared its ugly head and Annabeth bowed her head, trying to keep tears back. She felt Percy lay a hand on her shoulder, his thumb rubbing up and down, trying to soothe. She took a deep breath and lifted her head, giving Leo a smile and again whispering "I'm sorry." Leo grinned at her and whispered back "It's okay."

The next memory began.

 **(I feel like I'm not doing enough actual dialogue. Does anyone else feel that way? Review and tell me!)**

 _Anni and Leo were sitting in front of Mr. Jacobs's desk, both with a mixture of defiance and fear written all over their faces. Mr. Jacobs was sitting at the desk, both hands folded on the desk, glaring at the two of them._

" _I'm sorry, I simply don't believe you. Ms. Brewer is a very kind woman and I've never seen her scold a child, much less beat them or threaten them with death." He said sternly._

" _You're only saying that because you've got a crush on her!" Anni yelled, arms crossed and scowling. Mr. Jacobs's eye twitched._

" _Keep your nose out of grown-up affairs, Annaliese." He said with a condescending smile._

" _It's Anni!" she snapped. 'And you're not denying it!"_

 _The smile faded._

" _You're not!" yelled Leo, defending his friend. His hand was still wrapped in an Ace bandage. He was glaring at Mr. Jacobs. "Miss Teresa was awful!"_

" _Shut it, both of you. Not another word against Ms. Brewer, do you understand me?" Mr. Jacobs snapped. "I was going to put you both back in her custody, but I think the best thing for you would be a better school. Perhaps Fisher Prep?"_

 _Both Leo and Anni shot each other confused looks._

" _Yes." Said Mr. Jacobs, smiling now. "I think Fisher Prep would straighten you two out. No more of this running-away nonsense. If you wanted attention, children, all you had to do was be good."_

 _He became the instant recipient of two death glares._

The others in the ship were death glaring him too. Matthew Jacobs had just been added to the newly created Hit List of the Seven.

 _Mr. Jacobs pulled Leo's file towards him. "Leo, you will be staying with Mr. and Mrs. Cooper. Annaliese" he cut off Anni's protest with a raised hand, "you will be staying with Mr. and Mrs. Delancey. You will both be attending Fisher Prep. Is that clear?"_

 _Both kids were slumped in their chairs, glaring at him. Mr. Jacobs gave a brisk nod._

" _Very good."_

 **(Fisher Prep is not a real school. I just made it up.)**

 **Everyone's P.O.V**

"If those people did something to you, Leo, I swear, we will forget about Gaea and go kick some butt." Frank muttered. Leo shot a grin his way.

"Don't worry about it, Zhang. The Cooper's were fine, just…distant I guess. They had four kids of their own, and they tried their best, but the kids weren't exactly happy that I was there. I was honestly fine. I didn't run away from their place so I rate it as a success."

He grinned at them again, his smile slowly fading when he realized everyone was looking at him with shocked expressions. "Um… are you guys okay?"

Piper answered, her voice trembling. "No, we are _not_ okay."

She leaned forward and hugged him hard.

"You shouldn't have had to live through all of that, we shouldn't be here watching it and judging you for stuff you had to do, oh Leo, I'm so sorry…"

Leo looked slightly uncomfortable. He gently patted Pipers back.

"I'm fine, Beauty Queen. I lived." He said gently, before a mischievous grin crept across his face. "Besides, I picked up some skills on the streets."

Piper pulled away, sniffling. "Like what?"

Leo's grin grew bigger. "I bet I can hold my liquor better than all y'all!" He said with a Texas accent.

The demigods all laughed, then slowly quieted when he didn't join in.

Hazel frowned. "Wait, you weren't serious, were you?"

Leo gave them all a mysterious smile as the next memory began.

 **I am aware that this chapter was short, but that's all I got, I have to finish Harry Potter and the Cursed Child! For the fifth time! It's soooo good!**

 **Love you guys!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey there my bestest readers!**

 **Get the Cursed Child. So. Good!**

 **I will not spoil, so GETITGETITGETIT PLEASE!**

 **Anyhoo, here's chapter fourteen. Thanks for the reviews! Love you guys!**

 **Disclaimer: No matter HOW many times I ask Santa, he won't give me PJO, so no, I do not own. Curse you Santa! I also don't own any song mentioned in this chapter.**

 _Leo was sitting on a bed with a red blanket, singing "Just Can't Wait to be King" under his breath, staring at the ceiling, when his window creaked open. His hand was still bandaged._

 _Anni climbed in and landed on his bed. Leo glanced at her and raised an eyebrow._

" _You know, just because we live next door to each other now doesn't mean you can just climb through my window. See, there are these two new contraptions. Their called a front door and a doorbell." He remarked conversationally._

 _Anni rolled her eyes._

" _Look, Anni, if you've discovered another musician, I'm happy for you, but can I see it later?" Leo continued. Anni poked him._

" _You know you liked Taylor Swift. And no, this is not another musician. I" she drew herself up "being the amazing person I am, managed to find pictures of the school uniform we will have to wear tomorrow."_

 _She shoved a piece of paper in Leo's face._

" _Look at this. Look. We have to wear ties. And vests. I have to wear a skirt." Anni shuddered. "And Mary Janes. What even are Mary Janes?" She sighed dramatically and flopped against the wall._

 _Leo reached over and poked her shoulder. "We'll be fine. You're Annaliese-freakin-Brown. You'll do just fine." Anni looked over and smiled at him._

" _Thanks Leo." Her expression changed to playfully serious. "But if you ever call me that again, I will rearrange your face."_

 _Leo grinned innocently. "Call you what? Annaliese?"_

 _Anni narrowed her eyes. "Oh it's on."_

 _She launched herself at Leo. They fell off the bed and tussled on the floor for a minute before Leo caught Anni in a headlock._

The memory ended like that, with Leo grinning down at Anni, who was playfully scowling at him. Before the demigods could ask any questions however, Leo pressed his finger to his lips.

"Watch." He said softly, grinning.

They all obediently did so and burst out laughing as the next memory began

 _Leo was walking the very clean-looking halls of a school looking extremely uncomfortable. He was wearing a white button-down shirt and a yellow vest, which had an embroidered crest on the right side of the chest. Around his neck was a yellow-and-navy-blue striped tie. He wore dark blue slacks and black shoes._

 _Judging from the impeccable uniforms of the other boys in the hall, Leo was not wearing his the way he was supposed to. His tie was loose and not tucked into the vest, the buttons of which were buttoned out of order. His shirt had the top button undone and was half tucked in the slacks, which were wrinkled slightly. The cuffs weren't buttoned either, one side of his collar stuck up, and his shoes looked slightly scuffed. All in all, Leo looked like he had woken up and gotten dressed about five seconds before school had started, his perpetually untidy curls adding to the impression. He carried his school bag over his shoulder and was looking around furtively._

Back on the Argo 2, Leo drew himself up in mock anger as the rest of the seven laughed at him in his ridiculous uniform.

"You think I look funny?" he grinned. "Wait till you see what Anni did."

" _Leo!" Anni called, running up to him._

 _She was most definitely not wearing her uniform correctly. She was wearing the same white button down, yellow vest, and tie as Leo, but instead of looking like she had just rolled out of bed, Anni looked like she was deliberately trying to piss off every teacher in the school._

 _Her shirt was untucked, her sleeves were unbuttoned and rolled up to her elbows, and her vest was unbuttoned as well. Her blonde hair had clearly been carefully combed into a sleek ponytail, but she had tied the tie around her head like a headband, letting the ends dangle. She was wearing a pleated dark blue skirt instead of slacks, but instead of the white knee socks and black Mary Janes the other girls in the hall were wearing, she was wearing neon pink knee socks patterned with purple hearts and black Converse in place of the Mary Janes. She was swinging her bag carelessly and skipping, ignoring the looks other kids sent her. Leo looked down for a second before raising his eyebrow at her._

" _I thought you hated pink." He said. Anni shrugged._

' _They were the brightest ones I could find, and there is no way in hell I was wearing white socks." A bell rang and they both simultaneously groaned._

" _See you at lunch, I guess." Anni told him, sending him a grin before she walked off, presumably towards her class._

 **(I should probably clarify age. They are both nine, just around the corner from ten. All the previous memories happened over a period of several months)**

 _Leo groaned and headed off after her, before a sound behind him caused him to pause and turn._

 _The sound was an older boy bumping into another kid. The strangest thing about the older boy was that he wasn't wearing a uniform: he was wearing a black hoodie and blue jeans, his sandy blonde hair tousled and slightly too, much like Leo's curls. He was carrying what appeared to be a baseball bat, held out at a weird angle, both of his hands curled around the grip. Than Leo blinked, and for just a second, the bat transformed into a sword, glowing bronze. Leo did a double take, but the mysterious boy ducked down a hallway and was gone._

 _Leo pivoted and headed after him._

 _He followed the strange boy down several more halls before he turned a corner… and the boy wasn't there. Leo blinked, looked around, took a few cautious steps forward…_

 _Only to have a hand shoot out from a nearby janitors closet, closing around his collar. With a yelp, Leo was yanked back into the closet and pressed against the wall. He struggled: his time on the streets had made him lean and time with the gang had made him strong, but whoever had yanked him in there was stronger than him, and he was pinned. Then his captor flicked on the light._

 _It was the strange boy. Beneath his black hoodie he wore an orange T-shirt with black writing on it, spelling out Camp Half-Blood. He looked to be about seventeen. His blue eyes bored into Leo's, his lip half lifted in a snarl, the point of his sword pointed right at Leo's stomach. The sight of the sword made Leo grow still._

Annabeth yelped, pressing her hand to her mouth, her eyes fixed on the image of the boy. Percy gaped as well.

"No way." He gasped. "That is not possible."

Everyone gave them weird looks.

"What isn't possible?" Leo asked.

"There is no way." Percy muttered. He looked over at Annabeth with a worried face. Annabeth's eyes were fixed on the frozen image of the boy, her voice barely qualifying as a whisper behind her hand.

"Luke?"

 **CLIFFHANGER! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!**

 **(does my best Megamind laugh)**


	15. Chapter 15

**(A light flicks on, shining directly on a wheeled chair. The chair turns to reveal me sitting in it, holding my cat on my lap and trying to look evil)**

 **Me: I've been expecting you.**

 **(My cat claws me, making me shriek and ruining my evil persona.)**

 **Hey guys! Hope you liked my cliffhanger! I know you all are about to kill me though, so here's the next chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing except for the plot and Anni.**

 **General P.O.V**

Percy rushed over to Annabeth and wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"Annabeth, it's okay. Your okay." He soothed, stroking her hair. A few tears lazily trailed down her cheeks; Percy swiped them away. "It's okay."

"He doesn't have his scar yet." Annabeth whispered, lowering her hand. "I'd forgotten what he looked like before he got it." She took a deep breath.

"Annabeth? You okay?" Leo asked. Annabeth nodded, taking a shaky breath.

"I'm okay."

She was given very incredulous looks, but the memory started and everyone's attention was devoted to it, hoping to unravel this mystery.

" _Start talking, kid." Luke snarled. 'Why were you following me?"_

 _He was wearing a black hoodie and blue jeans, along with his Camp Half-Blood T-shirt and his necklace. The sword he held appeared to be a standard-issue bronze sword. Leo's eyes were fixed on the sword and it's close proximity to his stomach, his right hand clenched in a tight fist so that a recent scar stood out, slightly raised, along the back of his hand. He was clearly having Nick flashbacks. Luke, not happy with Leo's wide-eyed silence, shook him, still snarling._

" _Well?" he demanded. The sword twitched, and Leo immediately began babbling._

" _I wasn't following you okay I was but just because I've never seen you around here before and I was curious and doing this was more exciting than going to class and why the hell do you have a sword…" Leo shut up as the anger in Luke's expression faded to something like puzzlement, and then resignation._

' _Gods, a curious clear-sighted mortal kid." He muttered, letting go of Leo's collar and rubbing his face, the sword dropping to his side. Leo eyed him warily._

" _What do you mean, 'mortal kid?'" he demanded. Luke sighed._

" _Look, kid, I don't have time for this. I've got an empousa tracking me and you really should be getting to class." He raised an eyebrow when Leo scowled. "What, you don't like school?"_

 _Leo shrugged. "I'm fine with school. I just don't like the kids in my school. They think they're sooo much better than me because I'm here on a scholarship while their parents paid for them to come here. Because they have parents while my mom is dead and my dad is a no-show." Luke blinked, then his face transformed. He gave a small smile and knelt, laying a hand on his shoulder. Leo flinched from the unexpected contact and looked at the boy warily._

" _You know, Leo, I know how you feel. I've only met my dad once and he was a total jerk. My mom… well, she's not dead but she would be better off that way." Leo was blinking up at him, still with a wary look. Luke sighed._

" _Geez, you remind me of Annabeth. That intense glare." Luke muttered to himself. "The point is, kid, your dad, if he doesn't take care of you the way he should, then he probably never will. You need to accept that. I've got a good friend, Thalia," here he grinned like a lovesick puppy "And a girl about your age who's like my little sister." His grin became more gentle and he gently squeezed Leo's shoulder. "Look, kid. Family will almost always let you down. Forget about your dad. All you really need is yourself and maybe a friend or two." Leo studied him for a moment before…_

 _The door of the closet opened._

 _A tall, gorgeous blonde girl with huge blue eyes stood there, wearing an immaculate uniform, her long straight hair held back with a perfectly placed blue headband. She settled a hand on her hip._

" _Well. What is going on here, boys?" Her voice was smooth as silk and honey-sweet._

 _Luke did not appear impressed. He stood up slowly, with the tense expression one usually associates with a lion tamer when his lion won't cooperate. He ever-so-slightly stepped in front in front of Leo. The girl noticed this and a smile curved across her face._

" _Awww. Protecting him. So sweet. Why don't you send the little runt off to class and you and I can have a little…fun?" Here she stepped suggestively close to Luke. She lifted a hand and lightly traced the collar of his T-shirt before trailing her finger up the side of his throat to his jaw. Luke's eyes glazed slightly. But as the girl leaned closer, Leo, still in the closet, saw her eyes briefly flash red, saw the long Alice-in-Wonderland hair flicker for a second, saw one leg turn into a donkey hoof beneath the pleated blue skirt. His eyes widened, then flicked towards the sword dangling uselessly from Luke's hand. He snatched it and jabbed it inexpertly at the girl. The point barely grazed her leg._

 _With a loud shriek, the girl staggered backward. Her hair suddenly made a crackling sound, before bursting into flickering flames. Her eyes glowed red, her teeth became fangs, her nails became claws, and her legs became mismatched: one a shaggy donkey leg complete with hoof, and one made entirely of bronze._

 _Luke's eyes cleared and he snatched the sword back from Leo, shooting him a grin. "Nice one, kid." He said before turning his attention to the vampire lady in the hall, who hissed at him._

" _Half-bloods." She snarled. "Always so annoyingly bold. What are you going to do with that pretty sword, Luke?" Luke lifted the sword, aiming it at her._

" _Get back, stay back, and go to Tartarus where you belong, and this won't be as messy as it could get." He snarled. The girl laughed, then turned to a very shocked, scared Leo who was trembling._

" _Oh, really? And what if I took this little half-blood with me?" With a lightning-fast movement, she darted her arm past Luke, grabbed Leo's arm, and hauled him out of the closet and against her, using him as a shield against Luke's sword. Leo struggled, but she dug her nails into his arms to hold him in place, jeering at Luke._

" _Leo?"_

 _All three heads swiveled to face the corner as Anni walked around the corner. "Dude, you are in so much trouble…" She trailed off as her eyes took in the scene, green eyes widening. Luke looked back and forth between Anni and Leo, looking panicked. The empousa smiled and held Leo tighter, obviously not concerned._

 _And then Anni opened her mouth._

" _Recede paululum ab eo, qui monstrum!"_ **(Get away from him, you monster!)** _she hissed, hands curling into fists. Luke's eyes widened, as did the empousa's._

" _Anni?" Leo asked, looking confused. Anni shot him a 'shut-up-right-now' look._

" _Dimitte eum relinquunt."_ **(Let go of him and leave.)** _Anni snarled. The empousa snarled uncertainly before shoving Leo toward Anni. He stumbled, nearly knocking Anni over, but she caught him before turning to Luke, speaking this time in English._

" _She's all yours." she said, gesturing to the empousa, before grabbing Leo's arm and dragging him back around the corner._

" _Anni, what. The. Hell. Was that all about!?" Leo demanded as Anni dragged him down the hall until they found themselves in the hall Leo's class was supposedly near. Lockers lined the hallway, and Anni pushed Leo up against one, looking around furtively._

" _Anni, what the hell…"_

 _Anni spun to face him and snapped her fingers._

 _Leo blinked. Cold air wafted through the hall, making the posters on the wall flutter. Leo's gaze grew unfocused._

" _Leo, are you okay?" Anni asked, fake concerned. "You fainted. You never saw anything else except this hall." Leo blinked, and awareness returned to his face._

" _Whoa…" he staggered. Anni caught him, relief crossing her features before they settled into a mask of friendly concern._

" _You okay? I came out here… by the way, Greene is pissed at you for being late to his class, so you better hope your sick… and found you slumped against the locker."_

 _Leo blinked and shook his head. "Weirdest dream… teenage dude with sword… vampire lady with fire for hair…" Anni frowned and laid the back of her hand against his forehead._

" _You are most definitely sick." She muttered. "Come on. Let's go to the nurse."_

 _She wrapped his arm around her shoulders, wrapping her arm around his ribs to hold him up, and walked down the hall._

The projection went dark and the words _As they left_ flashed across it before the memory resumed.

 _Leo was walking between two people who were apparently his foster parents, obviously leaving school. He looked over his shoulder at an attractive brick sign sitting in front of the school, proclaiming it as the 'Alan Fisher Prepatory Institute.' Leo blinked and squinted._

 _Hanging on the point of the A in Alan was a piece of dark blue fabric. And there was a mark along the bottom of the sign, a mark that looked rather suspiciously like a scorch mark._

 **Sorry about any inaccuracies with the Latin or with the Spanish. Blame Google Translate.**


	16. Chapter 16

**What's up, my readers?**

 **You guys are awesome! Thanks so so much for the reviews!**

 **Anyone like the little surprise I snuck in there? HAHAHAHA! ANNI SPEAKS LATIN! WHAT SORCERY IS THIS!?**

 **Anyway, that will all be addressed in later chapters, I promise!**

 **Oh, and by the way, here comes Aunt Rosa again!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own PJO or HOO. I do own lots of books, a cat named Piper, and an extremely cute, sweet dog named Princess.**

 **General P.O.V**

The room was absolutely silent. All the demigods were staring at the memory. Then the room erupted in noise.

"What the hell!"

"How can she speak Latin?"

"Forget speaking Latin, how did she control the Mist!?"

"She didn't even have a sword, why did the empousa let go of you?"

"Leo?"

Leo was staring wide-eyed at the memory.

"Um… guys… this may sound weird… but I don't remember any of that." He muttered, still staring. "I remembered seeing a weird guy in the hall, and I remembered a weird dream, but I thought I had fainted in the hallway. I also don't remember Anni speaking Latin or controlling the Mist."

Everyone glanced at each other, confused, as the next memory started.

 _Leo and Anni were once again in Mr. Jacobs's office. Anni was wearing a grey tunic with neon green edging. She was wearing neon green leggings under the tunic and black Converse on her feet with a purple jacket tied around her waist. Her hair was French braided. Leo was his typical messy self. They were alone in the office, Leo looking freaked out. Anni glanced at him, brow furrowed, then gave a huge, dramatic sigh._

" _I can't_ _believe_ _I'm spending my tenth birthday in here." She groaned. Leo glanced over at her and smirked._

" _I'd pity you, but since I got to spend_ _my_ _tenth birthday eating cake, I'll settle for bragging." He joked, and then ducked as Anni swung at him._

" _Ha! Two for flinching!" Anni yelled triumphantly, punching his arm twice, hard, before brushing it off. "Now you can't punch me back."_

 _Leo glared at her, rubbing his arm. "Whatever. I can still sing better than you."_

 _Anni raised an eyebrow. "Wanna bet?"_

 **(I don't own "White Horse" that belongs to Taylor Swift)**

 _She began to sing. "Say you're sorry, that face of an angel comes out just when you need it too. As I paced back and forth all this time cause I honestly believed in you." She had a soft alto voice, pretty and girlish, seeming almost not to belong to rambunctious Anni._

 _She grinned at Leo, who simply raised an eyebrow and began to sing himself._

" _Holding on, the days drag on, stupid girl, I should have known, I should have known." He sang in his own voice._

 _He and Anni looked at each other, than began to sing in unison._

" _That I'm not a princess, this ain't a fairytale,_

 _I'm not the one you'll sweep off her feet,_

 _Lead her up the stairwell,_

 _This ain't Hollywood, this is a small town,_

 _I was a dreamer before you went and let me down,_

 _Now it's too late for you and your white horse,_

 _To come around."_

 _They grinned at each other before Leo began again._

' _Maybe I was naïve, got lost in your eyes, and never really had a chance." When he said 'got lost in your eyes' he batted his eyelashes at Anni and dramatically clutched his chest, leaving Anni giggling before she chimed in._

" _My mistake, I didn't know to be in love you had to fight to have the upper hand. I had so many dreams about you and me, happy endings, now I know."_

 _Yet again they joined in together to sing the chorus._

" _I'm not a princess, this ain't a fairytale,_

 _I'm not the one you'll sweep off her feet,_

 _Lead her up the stairwell,_

 _This ain't Hollywood, this is a small town,_

 _I was a dreamer before you went and let me down,_

 _Now it's too late for you and your white horse,_

 _To come around."_

 _Anni sang by herself again, her voice clear and strong. "And there you are on your knees."_

 _Leo sang the next line. "Begging for forgiveness, begging for me."_

 _Then together again._

" _Just like I always wanted, but I'm so sorry._

 _Cause I'm not your princess, this ain't a fairytale._

 _I'm going to find someone, someday, who might actually treat me well!_

 _This is a big world, that was a small town,_

 _There in my rearview mirror disappearing now._

 _And it's too late for you and your white horse,_

 _Yeah it's too late for you and your white horse,"_

 _They smiled at each other as they finished, voices soft and low._

" _To catch…me…now."_

 _There was silence for a moment._

" _Damn." Anni broke it. "We sounded awesome!"_

" _Damn right we did." Said Leo, holding up a hand for a high-five, which Anni gave enthusiastically._

" _What is taking that idiot so long?" Leo asked a few minutes later, craning his neck to look at the door. "It cannot take this long to get our new foster parents, can it?"_

 _Anni shrugged. "Look as bored as possible and maybe they'll leave."_

 _Their laughter was interrupted when the door opened. In walked Mr. Jacobs with a familiar-looking woman with a sour mouth. Mr. Jacobs adjusted his tie and took a deep breath._

" _Leo." He said. 'I'm sure you remember your Aunt Rosa. She's agreed to foster you."_

 **(Dun dun DUNNNNNN!)**

All the demigods were speechless.

Then Percy exploded.

"No!" He jumped to his feet. "Leo, please tell me that she didn't actually foster you."

Leo shrugged. "I could tell you that, but then it wouldn't be true."

The next memory began as Percy took his seat, seething.

 _Rosa was driving a car, yelling into the rearview mirror at a nervous-looking Leo. Raphael sat in the passenger seat, still playing on a Game Boy, still chubby, and one finger still firmly stuck up his nose. The only difference was he looked a little older, and he had headphones over his ears._

"… _and I don't know what you were thinking, letting your heathen friend come over, letting her blast that horrible music, and you two dancing like that. You could have corrupted my baby!" She took a hand off the wheel and reached over to hug Raphael's head. Leo nervously eyed the road._

" _Aunt Rosa, it was just Taylor Swift." Leo defended. "Anni loves that singer. We weren't dancing dangerously at all. And, please, could you watch the road?"_

 _He ducked as a backwards swat was aimed at him._

" _Don't you talk back, you little Diablo!"_

 _Leo's face set into a hard, emotionless mask. He turned to stare out of the window._

 _They pulled up in front of a small stucco house and Leo's eyes lit up. Rosa had barely parked the car before Leo was out, flying along the concrete driveway. Just before he reached the door, an older woman with braided gray hair opened the door and caught him in a tight hug. Leo wrapped his arms around her waist, his entire body relaxing, his eyes closed and a soft smile on his face._

" _Hola, Abuela!" He said happily, hugging her tightly. She hugged him back just as fiercely._

" _Hola, mijo. Como estas?" she responded, kissing the top of his head and ruffling his hair. She lightly swatted him on the shoulder, saying "Get into the house, I made cookies." Leo vanished into the house like smoke._

" _Hola, Mama." Rosa greeted, waltzing up with a fake smile plastered on her face._

 _The older woman appeared not to notice, crow's feet appearing as she said happily "Hola, mija!"_

 _She reached for her daughter, who breezed past. Abuela looked hurt, but smiled again when she saw Raphael, trudging up the driveway, eyes still glued to the Game Boy. She reached out for him, but he didn't even acknowledge her and headed inside. Abuela blinked, looking sad, then trudged into the house, tugging the door closed behind her._

 _In a bright, cheerful kitchen, Leo was sitting at a well-scrubbed table, happily chewing on a cookie. A blue platter piled high with the chocolate chip circles of yumminess sat in front of him. Raphael walked over, shoved Leo off the chair he was sitting on, sat heavily in it, and proceeded to shovel cookies in his mouth with inhuman speed one-handed, all the while staring at the Game Boy, thumb flying. Leo glared up at him from the floor, stuffed the rest of his cookie in his mouth, and stood up. Calmly, he stole another one and walked over to the adjoining living room, where Rosa was talking with her sad-looking mother._

"… _and honestly, Mama, I don't know what you're thinking, keeping Esperanza's old things here in the house! It's unsanitary. And just imagine what the neighbors would say if they knew…" Rosa shook her head sagely._

" _I appreciate the concern, mija, but I do not care what anyone else may say about me." Abuela said firmly. Spotting Leo standing there with his cookie, she smiled and held out her arm, pulling the ten-year-old to her side affectionately. "Keeping Esperanza's room the way she left it is my way of remembering her." She smiled and rubbed Leo's arm. Rosa's eyes grew hard, but her voice was still sugary sweet and wheedling._

" _Mama, I know you miss Esperanza. I do too. But it's time for you to move on! And in fact, I just had this idea…" Rosa leaned forward, greed sparking to life in her eyes. "Why don't you sell the things? It'll get rid of bad memories! Do you have any idea how much her closet of clothes would fetch from that thrift shop down the road? Or her dresser? Those beautiful handmade quilts on her bed are an easy couple hundred dollars each. And then you'll have enough money to pay the bills… You know what, Mama, don't trouble yourself. I can do it all! I'll give you the money and everything, here; I'll go and get some stuff from there right now. And you know what, Mama, then you could make that room into a fitness center or something, wouldn't that be lovely?" She had gotten up and was heading down the hall, grinning._

" _No."_

 _Rosa turned, smile fading. "What was that, Mama?"_

" _I said no, Rosa. You will not do this. I won't allow you to discredit your sister's name or legacy for money!" Abuela was mad now, glaring at her daughter._

 _Rosa was angry too, the greed in her eyes fading. "What legacy, Mama? Esperanza was always the favorite daughter, but look at me! I have achieved more than she ever did! I'm married with a beautiful son, I'm rich, and what about her? She went and slept around and ended up with a son who eventually killed her! All she ever had to show for her life was that useless degree, and she could never get hired because the employers saw what I saw, they saw through her pretty face and clever mind, they saw straight through her to what she was: nothing but a complete slu…"_

 _SMACK!_

 _Abuela had gotten off of the couch and slapped her daughter across the face._

" _You are not my daughter." Snarled Abuela. "Get out of my house."_

 _Rosa's lips compressed and she reached for her purse, swinging it onto her shoulder and calling for Raphael. She seized Leo's arm in a too-tight grip and dragged him towards the door, calling frostily over her shoulder "Adios, Mama."_

 **(And there's the slap I promised you. She totally deserved that!)**

"Gods."

Every demigod was staring as if in a trance at the projection. Leo was smiling, but tears were gathering at the corners of his eyes.

"Te echo de nenos, mi Abuela." **(I miss you.)**

 **Hey guys! Just a note.**

 **One, school has started, and my great grandpa died, which is the reason for the long period between last update and this one. Sorry!**

 **Second, I am not fluent in Spanish, so I apologize for the mistakes, people! You don't need to keep messaging me saying I said something wrong. Blame Google translate, not me!**

 **Updates may be slightly sporadic now that school has started, so I apologize, but I will update when I can!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Hello, my lovely readers!**

 **Thanks for the condolences. My great-grandpa really was a wonderful man and I'm glad I got to know him.**

 **Here's chapter 17! Yay!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing except for the plot and Anni.**

 **3** **rd** **person P.O.V**

For the past few moments, it had been absolutely silent around the table. Everyone was staring in absolute awe at the screen, where Abuela still stood tall and glaring after Rosa, who had a red handprint on her cheek. Then Piper giggled.

"Whoa. Rosa got bitch-slapped!" she said, and set everyone laughing. Leo pretended to pout.

"Dammit. That was a perfect opportunity! How could I miss that!" he laughed.

They were all still grinning as the next memory began.

 _Leo was stomping around a small bedroom, grumbling angrily. Anni was sitting cross legged on the floor, watching him._

"… _just want to go somewhere else, you know? I mean, what exactly is there for me to enjoy here?' Leo asked. He heaved a huge sigh and flopped on his bed, one hand flinging out to land on top of Anni's head. She shoved it off, squeezing his arm in understanding._

" _I know how you feel." She said gently, leaning her head back against the bed. They sat there in complete silence for a while, before Anni's eyes suddenly lit up. She appeared to ponder something for a second, lifting her hand to her mouth and biting on her knuckle. Her eyes flicked up to Leo before a wide grin spread across her face and she jumped to her feet, going over to a closet near the bed. Leo turned to watch her, brow furrowed._

" _And you are doing what, exactly?" he asked, still clearly in a funk. Anni shot him a conspiratal grin and pulled, from the depths of the closet, a certain worn black backpack._

 _Leo's eyes widened and he sat straight up. "Run away? Again?"_

 _Anni nodded eagerly. "You would be free of your aunt!" Leo shook his head._

" _You know how much I hate Aunt Rosa, Anni, but no. Nonono. No. Where exactly would I go? I'm not going back to the gang." His scarred hand clenched._

 _Anni looked a little hurt. "Why would you think I would take you back there, stupid?" She rolled her eyes. "Unbelievable."_

 _Leo rolled his eyes right back. "Alright then, Oh Genius One. Where would we go?"_

 _Anni looked up at the ceiling and shook her head, muttering under her breath._

Subtitles appeared beneath the image. _**Dei Romae, me confirmat.**_

 **(I'm not gonna do a translation, hahahahaha! Anni's speaking Latin again, hahahahaha! I'm so evil!)**

" _California." Anni said matter-of-factly._

 _Leo quirked an eyebrow. "Why California?"_

 _Anni shrugged. "Why_ _not_ _California? It's sunny, it's warm, and it's far away from here… whats not to like?"_

 _Leo gave her a hard stare. Anni sighed and elaborated._

" _I have friends… that is, Aunt Macy had friends… that would help me and, by extension, help you. All we have to do is get ourselves to California. Come on. Whaddya say?"_

 _Leo looked at her for a second, than shrugged._

" _Eh, why not? It gets me away from Aunt Rosa and Raphael."_

 _Anni grinned and gave him a quick, hard hug before heading back to the closet and grabbing clothes, shoving them into the bag, speaking over her shoulder. 'I'll pack tonight. We can leave tomorrow… though I'm not entirely sure where we would sleep."_

 _Hearing this, Leo grinned._

" _Don't worry. I think I know a place."_

 **Frank's P.O.V**

 _Well, that doesn't leave us hanging at all._ Frank thought sarcastically. He narrowed his eyes at Anni's grinning face. He was getting a bad feeling about her. No ten-year-old knew Latin that well unless they were a super-genius with good schooling. He eyed her again. If she ended up hurting Leo somehow…

He gritted his teeth as the next memory started.

 _Anni and Leo were walking down a familiar street, backpacks slung over their shoulders. Leo was scanning the houses. Anni was looking around nervously. One hand was clenched into a small fist. The other kept twitching towards Leo's arm every time she saw something that spooked her._

" _We're here!" came Leo's elated whisper. Anni jumped at the sudden sound, her hand jumping over to close around Leo's wrist. Her cheeks turned cherry red when she realized what had happened and she quickly let go, avoiding Leo's startled eyes._

" _Where?" she asked, moving the offending hand up to smooth loose wisps of blonde hair out of her face. Leo looked a little crimson too, but gestured toward a very familiar house. A light was on in the family room._

" _There."_

 _They quickly headed up the front walk to the front door, where Leo, with a grin Anni's way, reached up to ring the doorbell._

 _A bleary-eyed Abuela opened the door, long gray hair braided over one shoulder, dressed in a soft pink nightgown and wearing a fluffy baby-blue robe. She blinked in surprise at the two ragtag kids on her porch._

" _Leo?" she asked. "What's happening? Who is this? I'm glad to see you, mijo, but what are you doing here?"_

" _Hola, Abuela." Said Leo softly, smiling. "Can we please come inside, I'll explain everything. Promise."_

 _The old woman looked skeptical, but stepped to the side to let him in._

" _Gracias." Anni said sweetly, giving Abuela a toothy grin as she scuttled inside after Leo. Abuela raised an eyebrow after the girl, but closed the door after glancing up and down her street._

 _Leo and Anni were sitting side-by-side on a worn brown sofa, backpacks at their feet. It appeared they had just finished explaining to Abuela what was going on. She was leaning back in an armchair opposite the sofa, eyes closed. Leo and Anni shot each other nervous looks. Then Abuela opened her eyes and sat forward._

 _She leveled her gaze at first Leo, than Anni. A faint smile spread across her face._

" _Well, this is more excitement then a sick old woman could ever hope to enjoy in the course of one night. Which rooms would you two like? And before you leave, I insist that you take Esperanza and Rosa's old sleeping bags, from when bisabuelo Sammy would take them camping, back when he still could. You will need them if you're going to California."_

 _She smiled at the two children, both of whom were beaming. Leo launched himself off of the sofa into Abuela's lap, hugging her tightly._

" _Muchas gracias, Abuela!" he said happily. Anni sat there, looking a little uncertain, until Abuela looked up from Leo and smiled, extending her arm to the girl._

" _Come here, carina."_

 _Anni's eyes lit up and she came over, letting Abuela give her a good hug. Afterwards, Abuela gently smoothed her hand over Anni's hair._

" _Bet you haven't gotten a lot of good hugs in your lifetime, huh?" Abuela murmured, staring into Anni's eyes. Anni blinked, then ducked her head, but not quickly enough to hide the way her bottom lip had begun to tremble and the way her green eyes had suddenly filmed over with tears. Abuela gently drew her close again, murmuring into the space between Leo's curls and Anni's ponytail._

" _Poor children, so young and already carrying the world on your shoulders." She gently smoothed Anni's hair as she began to cry in earnest. 'It's alright child. Let it out. Abuela's here."_

 **(And there's some angsty fluff for you guys, there. More is on its way.)**

"Leo, your grandmother is seriously awesome." Hazel informed him from where she was leaning against Frank.

"Awww…" Annabeth murmured, still watching the memory.

Jason frowned at his friend. "Leo, are you okay?"

Leo was staring at the table. Tears were sliding silently down his chin and nose, dripping onto the table and his tightly clasped hands. His voice was slightly husky with tears.

"Watch."

 _It appeared to have been a few months since the last memory. Anni and Leo looked homeless yet again. Leo was walking with his hands in his pockets and eyes fixed on the ground. Anni, walking beside him, was giving him worried looks._

 _They were walking beside a tall red brick wall with iron railings on top. They reached a gate with a small bronze plaque beside it. Anni gently touched Leo's shoulder and he stopped, not even looking up._

" _Saint Mary's Cemetery." Anni read. "This is the place."_

 _Together they ducked through the gate._

 **(Saint Mary's Cemetery is not a real place, though it is based on one.)**

 _The cemetery was a wide green lawn filled with trees and headstones, varying in size. A few marble mausoleums stood to one side of the gravel path. Anni and Leo walked through until a large group of people came into view. Anni grabbed Leo's arm and drew him into a copse of trees nearby, close enough to hear what was being said but far enough to avoid detection._

 _At the gravesite, a large group of mourners in black stood in a cluster, listening to a woman standing up front, dressed in a black dress of a rather unflattering cut._

"… _and although Mama and I had our rough times, there was never a time when I did not care for her, and there was never a time when she did not love me…" Rosa claimed very loudly, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue, though her mascara was suspiciously perfect. Judging from some of the other mourner's faces, this had been going on for a while. Raphael, his rotund body garbed in a stuffy black suit, was flat out asleep, head lolling and mouth hanging open, his finger not up his nose for once. The old man next to him, probably a neighbor of Abuela's, was shooting him reproachful looks._

"… _and finally, I direct a few words to my mama." Said Rosa theatrically, turning to the grave. Her speech this time was surprisingly short and simple. "I'm gonna miss you, Mama. I love you." She turned away with a dramatic sniff, touching her tissue once to each eye, and went to sit beside Raphael, hugging him close to her. In the copse of trees, Anni rolled her eyes before glancing over at Leo, whose eyes were fixed with laser-like intensity on the space where the headstone would be. She put out a hand to place it on his shoulder, before blinking uncertainly, her hand hovering, and letting it drop slowly back to her side._

 _The mourners got into their cars, sent off by a loud, tearful goodbye from Rosa, who was one of the first to leave with Raphael in tow. Some came up to place flowers on the stone and murmur a few words before leaving. Once the gravesite was empty and the last car had faded into dust, Leo reached back for Anni, taking her arm._

 _His voice was hoarse with held-back tears. "Let's go."_

 _They picked their way over to the headstone._

 _It was a simple stone square set into the ground. There was a quote across the top of the stone, before the name and dates of birth and death._

 ** _Psalm 116:15_** **.** _ **Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.**_

 _ **Sofia Valdez**_

 _ **June 16**_ _ **th**_ _ **– May 19**_ _ **th**_ __

 _ **Beloved Mother, Grandmother, and Friend.**_

 _Leo knelt, reaching out a shaking hand to lay it on the gravestone. Anni stood behind him, looking very unsure of what to do._

 _Leo started to speak, then his face crumpled and his head dropped, tears rolling silently down his cheeks and falling from his nose to splash on the gravestone. Anni knelt beside him, tears falling from her eyes as well, and wrapped her arm around Leo's shoulders._

 _The two knelt there for a while before Anni, in a soft voice, began to sing._

" _Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me." She sang. Leo gave her a strange look but began to sing with her. "I once was lost, but now am found, was blind, but now I see."_

 _They sang for a while longer, still kneeling by the grave._

 **And there is an extra dose of sadness for you all. Sorry, I'm in a depressing mood. And I shall say this again. .. I AM AWARE THERE ARE MISTAKES WITH THE SPANISH!**

 **Love you guys!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Heeeeeyyyyy everybody!**

 **(ducks onslaught of rotten vegetables and fruit)**

 **I'm sorry for the late update! But to make up for the sadness of the last chapter (sorry not sorry) this chapter is going to be pure hilarious fluff!**

 **Disclaimer: I own way too many books, including copies of PJO and BOO, but sadly, I do not own the PJO franchise.**

 **3** **rd** **person P.O.V**

As the memory paused, Jason gently drew Leo against him in a sideways hug. Everyone else sat there, unsure of what to do to comfort their friend.

And then the sad atmosphere was shattered when Hera _poofed_ on top of the table again.

Frank was so surprised he fell out of his chair to land on his butt. Jason jerked backward with a rather high-pitched squeal. Percy, Piper, Hazel, and Annabeth jumped.

Leo just sat there, idly tracing patterns onto the tabletop with his fingernail.

"Hello, my heroes." Said Hera, perfectly composed. Frank appeared over the edge of the table, his face just-ate-a-ghost-chile red with anger and embarrassment. Jason fixed a glare at the Queen of Heaven. Annabeth's hand was resting on her dagger. Everyone except Leo, who still hadn't looked up, was tense.

"I trust you have been enjoying yourselves?" Hera said, meaningfully glaring at the top of Leo's head. He still didn't look up.

 _SPLAT._

A spoonful of mashed potatoes flew through the air and landed on top of Hera's head. A line of gravy trickled down her forehead.

"What on earth…!" Hera shrieked, spinning to look behind her, where, to everyone's surprise, Hazel sat with a huge spoon in her hand, scooping up another load of mashed potatoes. She glared at Hera and catapulted the projectile forward, this time hitting Hera square in the chest.

War was declared.

Aided by the magically refilling plates, the demigods began to launch any food that appeared at Hera. Percy flung blue pizza and blue pie. From Frank came orange chicken and barbecue wings. Piper flung her PBJ and salad. Jason contributed with a mustard-and-ketchup-smeared hamburger and a goblet of Coke. Annabeth launched a strawberry smoothie and a black-bean-and-corn quesadilla. Hazel threw more mashed potatoes and, when she ran out, the gumbo that appeared in its place took its turn to decorate Hera's dress.

Hera shrieked and tried to dodge, but it was practically impossible. Even Leo, who had looked up at the first splat, had gotten into it. He threw tacos, a plate of spaghetti that made a lovely starburst pattern on the skirt of Hera's dress, and even copied Hazel's trick with a spoon, this time with applesauce instead of mashed potatoes. Basically, if it was nearby and messy, the demigods threw it.

When they finished with one last splash of Sprite from Frank's goblet, the demigods stopped, plates empty, and examined their handiwork.

Hera's fancy hairdo tilted to one side like a collapsed cake. Her makeup was smeared. Her dress showed streaks of its original white between the myriad of other colors streaking it. Applesauce, ground beef, ketchup, mustard, tomato pulp from Piper's salad, mashed potatoes, and gravy made tattoos on her skin. A lettuce leaf stuck up at the back of her head like an Indian feather.

It was a thing of beauty.

Hera glared at all of them before disappearing. The lettuce leaf that had been in her hair fluttered down to land on the table like a calling card.

"Why was she even here?" Annabeth asked.

"Who cares?" Hazel asked.

The next memory started.

 _Leo and Anni were sitting in a classroom, desks grouped together to make groups of four. Anni and Leo were next to each other in their own little group, though no one else sat near them._

 _They both still looked homeless. Anni's hair was in a mangled braid down her back and it looked like it hadn't been properly washed or brushed in a while. She was wearing filthy jeans and a purple T-shirt that looked to be slightly too small. Her sneakers were falling apart._

 _Leo's hair was messy and too long, almost past his chin. They both looked older, maybe eleven instead of ten. Both were a little taller, though still small for their age. There was a new, faint scar on Anni's arm._

The usual questioning looks were aimed Leo's way.

"We were still on the streets, but you'd be surprised how safe a school can be. We pretty much just walked in and sat in a class room that had enough room for us, and we went there as often as we could. Whenever we didn't feel like it, we just didn't go."

Satisfied with this explanation, the demigods turned back to watch.

 _Anni appeared alert and was watching the teacher, but Leo looked like he was going to drop off at any moment, his dark eyes glazed over. After a moment of staring into space, his eyelids seeming to grow heavier every time he blinked, he finally put his head on his desk and promptly went to sleep._

 _After a few minutes of him sleeping, Anni glanced over and noticed. She rolled her eyes and very gently shook his shoulder._

" _Leo." She whispered, obviously trying not to catch anyone's attention. "Leo, wake up."_

 _Leo didn't move. He didn't even grunt or make any sort of noise that indicated he was anywhere close to waking up. Anni rolled her eyes again and shook him a little harder, whispering "Leo" more insistently._

 _Then Leo did move, but not in a waking-up way. He shifted in his seat, grabbed Anni's wrist, pulled her hand from his shoulder and proceeded to snuggle her hand and arm close to his cheek._

The demigods burst out laughing while Leo turned red.

 _Anni blinked down at him for a moment, clearly surprised, before looking up and looking around to make sure no one was watching before trying to pull her hand away. Leo gripped it tighter, made a soft, discontented noise, and continued to sleep. Anni rolled her eyes, yanked her hand away, then grabbed Leo by the hair, lifted his head, and smacked it down on the desk._

 _She didn't smack his head hard enough to hurt him, just hard enough to startle him awake. It worked. Leo sat up, suddenly alert. He rubbed his forehead and glared suspiciously at Anni, who was sitting beside him and staring straight ahead. The only thing to indicate that she might be responsible for his injury was the tiny smile tugging at the corners of her mouth._

 _Leo rolled his eyes in a very Anni-like way and settled in to listen to the teacher._

The demigods were still giggling.

"I hug things in my sleep. Don't judge me." Leo muttered, his face and ears bright red.

Piper and Percy were both laughing so hard they were crying and had progressed to silent laughing. Annabeth and Jason looked at each other and shook their heads. Leo shrunk lower in his seat as the next memory began.

" _You. Need. A. Haircut."_

" _NO!"_

 _Anni and Leo were in an alley, apparently behind the school. A door hung open behind them, revealing a glimpse of a sunny room full of long tables. Shelves full of Tupperware bins lined the wall, the bins full of markers and glitter and paint and glue. There were even a few right near the door that appeared to be full of Play-Doh._

 _Leo was holding a pair of scissors and chasing Anni around the alley. She was running around with her hands over her ears, and every time Leo started to talk, she yelled "NO!"_

" _Anni, come on." Leo pleaded, stopping and speaking over Anni's continued yells. "You know we both need one. It'll make it easier to keep clean so we don't have cops constantly after us."_

 _Anni glared at him, her hands protectively over her hair, then let out a long sigh and marched over. She turned her back on Leo and crossed her arms._

 _Leo breathed a sigh of relief and raised the scissors. Anni's hair, still in that messy braid hung down her back almost to her waist. Leo settled the scissors at the nape of Anni's neck and cut._

 _SNIP._

 _The scissor blades were too short to reach to the other side of Anni's hair, so one half of her braid, cut off, dangled crazily from her head. Leo moved the scissors over._

 _SNIP._

 _The long golden braid fell to the ground, leaving Anni with short hair that instantly fell out from behind her ears. Leo had cut it longer in the front than in the back. But it was much shorter, and already Anni looked slightly less scruffy, more like a kid who liked getting messy and less like a kid who lived in the streets. She lifted her hand and ran it through her hair, pausing when her fingers reached the back of her head. Then she turned to face Leo._

" _Not as bad as I thought it would be." she said calmly. She snatched the scissors from Leo and grinned easily. "Your turn."_

 _Leo's hair was not as long as Anni's had been, so Anni gently gathered handfuls of his hair to the side of his head before snipping. Leo's curls landed in a sort of semicircle around Anni's braid. Once Anni was done, Leo's curls were sloppily cut, but he ran his hand through the shortened curls and grinned like he was pleased. They returned the scissors to a bin near the door before closing it and heading off towards the street._

Present-day Leo ran his hand through his hair the same way his past self had, staring up at the image, which had paused with Anni in mid-laugh. Past Leo was grinning roguishly at her, like he had just made a joke. Present day Leo heaved a soft sigh and ducked his head as the next memory began.

 _Leo, dressed in a new-looking red shirt and jeans, was standing alone in what looked like a school gym. Posters saying "GO WILDCATS!" hung around the walls, half obscured with red balloons hung up all around the room, interspersed with white crepe paper._

 **(No it's not a Valentine's Day dance, those are the school colors.)**

 _Leo didn't appear too focused on the mayhem around him. He was far too busy stuffing his face. A long table set up at the side of the gym was covered in several plates of cookies and cupcakes, bowls of chips, bottles of soda and punch and water, and a few boxes of pizza. Leo was munching away on a cookie, with a couple of cupcakes in his hand, when he glanced over to his left and saw Anni, who was sitting in the corner, wearing a green shirt that looked way too big. Her jeans were slightly cleaner, and the purple high-tops she wore looked new too. Apparently the two had been to Goodwill recently. Anni looked undisturbed, but two girls kept giving her looks and whispering to her. Then they both turned and headed off to go to Anni, still sitting in her corner with a book on her lap and a water bottle by her side, completely oblivious to the world. Leo's eyes narrowed and he shoved the rest of his cookie in his mouth before walking over himself._

 _The girls reached Anni first. They stood there in front of her for a moment before one cleared her throat, causing Anni to look up._

" _Hi Annaliese." Said the girl with long brown hair and the lacy white dress. She looked like a young fashion model, her hair silky and shiny, flowing to the middle of her back, the front pulled back and pinned with a crystal flower. Her dress was strapless and fitted, reaching to a few inches above her knees: one of those dresses intended to make young girls look older than they actually were. She wore black heels and a shiny black belt around her waist._

 _Her friend had platinum blonde hair that she wore in loose curls, held back from her face with a pearl clip that matched her necklace. She was wearing a floaty lavender dress and white flats. She stood behind the lacy white girl, her eyes flicking to her every now and then. She looked uncomfortable. One arm wrapped around her waist and she lifted her hand to her mouth, chewing on her thumbnail._

" _Hi Brittany." Anni returned, addressing the girl in white. "Hi Heather." She added to the girl in purple. Heather gave a small wave and a tiny smile, but Brittany acted like Anni hadn't even spoken._

" _We were sitting way over there and smelled something, like, really bad." Brittany went on. "We were wondering if you smelled it too? Its somewhere over here…" She leaned closer and made a huge production out of sniffing the air. "Can you smell anything, Annaliese?"_

" _It's Anni. And no, I can't." said Anni calmly. "Unless your smelling yourself, because that perfume is about to kill me."_

 _Brittany flushed red and her voice grew sickeningly sweet. "No, this is more like BO and stale food… oh, sorry, sweetie, it's you. I didn't mean to be rude." She giggled. When Heather didn't join in, Brittany shot a glare over her shoulder. Heather jumped, pasted on a grin, and gave a very fake "Ha!"_

 _Anni rolled her eyes. "Ha ha. You're hilarious. Really, so funny. It was so damn funny I forgot to laugh." She lowered her head to her book again. Brittany scowled._

" _What are you doing here reading, anyway? It's a dance, dummy. You're supposed to dance with cute boys all night. What are you reading anyway?" She snatched the book out of Anni's hands. "The Outsiders?" It appeared Anni was only a few pages into the book, and Brittany smirked. "How long did it take you to get this far, hmm? Few weeks? Few years?" She giggled again. "Do you need help?" She looked down at the book and began to very slowly sound out words. "Dally…was…waiting…for…Johnny…and…me…"_

" _Oh, knock it off." Anni snapped, pulling the book away from Brittany and holding it against her chest protectively. "I'm dyslexic, not stupid."_

" _Suuurrrreeee." Brittany sneered. "The word dyslexic rhymes with stupid."_

 _Anni's left eyebrow crept up. "Ummm… okay Brittany. Whatever you say."_

 _Heather barely held back a snicker as Brittany flushed red. Leo, who had been standing at a distance watching the whole thing, was grinning like a loon from ear to ear._

" _Whatever." Brittany snapped tossing her hair. "Who gave you that book, anyway?"_

" _Mrs. Nelson." said Anni calmly, distracted again by the book._

" _Really? If someone should be giving you books, shouldn't it be your mom?"_

 _At the word 'mom' Anni's shoulders stiffened. Brittany saw this and pressed._

" _Oh yeah, that's right. She's gone. Probably ran away, huh? Didn't care about you enough to stick around?"_

 _Anni was staring at the pages, her eyes practically burning holes in it. Leo began to march over, eyes blazing. Brittany, not noticing Leo, continued._

" _Awww, poor Annaliese, her mommy didn't want her. Now you have to live in the streets like a disgusting pig. That's what you are, you know, a pig. Pigs don't wash themselves or comb their hair. Pigs don't have an actual home. Pigs smell really bad…"_

 _Leo tapped her shoulder with a fake grin. "'scuse me?"_

 _When Brittany turned, Leo shoved the chocolate-frosted cupcake he was holding right into her face, He then proceeded to shove the other one on top of her head, sending crumbs and bits of frosting everywhere. Anni, who had looked up at this, snatched up her water bottle and took off the cap._

" _Here, Brittany, let me help you clean that up." She said, deceptively mildly._

 _Then she poured the contents of the water bottle over Brittany, completely soaking her. The cupcake crumbs washed away, but it also appeared that Brittany had not worn waterproof makeup, her mascara and eyeliner smearing into thick black circles around her eyes. Leo marched up to Anni, slung an arm around her shoulders, and grinned at her. "Come on, Anni. Let's go. This is boring."_

 _Anni wrapped her arm around his shoulders and they started to walk over to the exit, before Leo suddenly stopped, stepped away from Anni, and gave a huge, exaggerated bow._

" _May I have this dance, my lady?"_

 _Laughing, Anni tucked her book into the waistband of her jeans and curtsied. "You may, good sir."_

 _Leo grabbed her hand and her waist, she put a hand on his shoulder, and off they went, dancing toward the exit and laughing while a crying Brittany ran for the bathroom, Heather in close pursuit._

" _See ya tomorrow, Raccoon Face!" Anni yelled after her as she and Leo left._

 _Outside in the hall, they laughed before beginning to leave the school, Anni holding her book again. Leo nudged her._

" _Haven't you read that thing already?"_

 _Anni nodded. "Yeah."_

" _Why read it again?"_

 _Anni was silent for a second before she answered. "You remember how I told you about Dally? The hood who died under the streetlight?"_

 _Leo nodded._

 _Anni sighed and held the book close to her chest, staying quiet for a few more steps before saying, so quietly it was hard to hear her "I think I'm gonna die that way. Violent, young, desperate. I'm gonna go too far someday and get shot beneath the streetlight and the stars." She glanced up, saw Leo's face, grinned, and socked him in the arm. "See, that's what reading does to me. It makes me think deep thoughts and freak you out."_

 _Leo grinned and said "Well then, perhaps I should…" He snatched the book and ran._

" _Leo Valdez, you bastard!" Anni laughed, and ran after him._

 **I don't own The Outsiders either. That belongs to S.E. Hinton.**

 **Love you guys!**


	19. Chapter 19

**I LIVE!**

 **Salut, mes amis!**

 **Whoa…okay…no death glares…. Hey, you in the back! Put down the pitchfork!**

 **Im soooo sorry about this super late update. My teachers are piling on homework like you would not BELIEVE. Anyway, here is chapter nineteen!**

 **Also, I've been getting requests after the last chapter to do Anni's death because you want a hug scene. I'm happy to oblige, as that was my plan, but I'm thinking I'm gonna do it sooner than I was expecting, seeing as the whole thing is getting rather repetitive. Is that just me, or does everyone else feel that way? So I'm gonna skip a few memory years. Hera's coming back!**

 **Disclaimer: I am a fanfiction author, but I, sadly, am not a real-life author. YET. So anything you recognize from the amazingness that is Rick Riordan's books, I do not own.**

The seven were all staring at the screen before suddenly, the device turned off. Yet again, Hera poofed on top of the table, giving everyone the stink eye.

She had cleaned up since the food fight, though she still smelled faintly of gravy, ketchup, and applesauce. She lifted her chin, not looking at any of them.

"Hello, my heroes." She said loftily. "I am here to summarize."

Everyone gave each other apprehensive looks. Annabeth muttered another order of mashed potatoes to her plate and dug her spoon in threateningly.

Hera's eyes darted to her before she continued. "The rest of Leo's life on the streets is largely uneventful, as was his time at the Wilderness School. I have come to explain. There will only be a few more memories, and I hope this has helped you all gain a better understanding of Leo's life."

"As the next memories begin, Leo has run away from three more foster homes purely because he wanted to. Anni has been his accomplice in this. They are both fourteen, almost fifteen, and have begun high school." Hera surveyed them all, staring at her with tense looks on their faces, and then she gave a terse nod.

"Goodbye."

She disappeared without a _poof_ this time, instead gently dissolving into fine white mist that filled the room with the scent of poppies before dissipating. The memory began.

 _Anni, her hair longer now then it had been in the last one, was sitting on a roof, looking up at the night sky. A bottle of beer sat beside her. Calmly, she reached over, picked it up, and drank from it._

 _Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and she was wearing a grey sweatshirt that was so big it seemed to swallow her. Her jeans, as usual, were grimy, huge holes in the knees, covered in worn patches. Her sneakers seemed like she had just pulled them out of a donation bin. Her face was older, lines by her eyes now. She seemed taller, though it was hard to tell sitting down. She swung her feet gently, looking up at the sky._

 _There was a scuffing sound behind her, and she half-turned, her hand going to her hip pocket where the edge of a knife peeked out. Her shoulders relaxed, however, when she realized it was Leo._

 _He too was wearing a sweatshirt, a blue one. His jeans had only one hole, but the other knee looked about ready to rip. His sneakers were filthy and there appeared to be a candy wrapper in his hair. He gave Anni his usual grin, then sat down beside her, reached into the sweatshirt pocket, and pulled out a box._

 **(AOB ENTERPRISES DOES NOT SUPPORT UNDERAGE SMOKING OR DRINKING)**

" _Want one?" he asked._

 _Anni shrugged and held out her hand. "Sure."_

 _Leo opened the box and handed her a cigarette, which Anni calmly put in her mouth, then reached into her pocket and pulled out a silver lighter. She flicked it, cupping her other hand around the flame, and lit the cigarette. Once it was lit and the flame was out, she lifted her other hand to her mouth, taking the cigarette between the first knuckles of her middle and index fingers, removing it and blowing a cloud of smoke into the air. She tossed Leo the lighter, and he lit his own cigarette._

A shocked Annabeth opened her mouth.

"Please don't judge or condemn me." Leo asked quietly. "Life had started getting especially hard, and sometimes blurring reality helped us cope."

"Harder how?" Hazel asked. Leo gave a humorless laugh.

"Anni's a pretty young girl on the street, and she doesn't exactly look dangerous, does she?" As the implications of what he was saying sank in, eyes widened. The color drained from Hazels face. Leo was still looking at the memory as he spoke.

"And I wasn't exactly safe from that either. There are a lot of creeps on the streets." He shrugged. "By this point… well, yeah. We both carried knives and we rarely left the other alone. Anni and I…" he shrugged. "We were all the other had."

Annabeth closed her mouth.

 _The two spent a few more moments of silence before Anni, flicking ash from her cigarette end, spoke._

" _You think any more about what I said?"_

 _Leo shrugged, reaching into his pockets and removing copper wire and pipe cleaners. He began playing with them, just like he did now when he was thinking._

" _A little."_

" _And?"_

 _Leo shrugged, his hands moving faster._

" _I don't know, Anni. We thought about it when we were kids, even made it to El Paso at one point, but really. If these friends of your aunts are really that important, if they would take care of you and me, why haven't they tried to get you from the system?"_

 _Anni sighed, looking down at her lap. "I don't know."_

 _There was silence for a moment. Then Anni exhaled a lungful of smoke forcefully and turned to him._

" _Come on, Leo. It's worth a try, right?"_

 _Leo sighed, then leaned over her and snatched the bottle of beer, gulping some down._

" _Can we talk about this tomorrow? I just kinda want to get drunk."_

 _Anni rolled her eyes. "There's only one bottle, shithead." She used the insult gently, like a term of endearment._

 _Leo grinned and lifted up a box of beer cans he had set beside him. Anni threw her head back and laughed, stubbing out her cigarette on the roof ledge and flicking it off to the alley below her._

' _You little fucker."_

 _Leo laughed and handed her a can. "Drink up, bitch." He too used the word gently, like an older sister might call her brother an idiot._

The image went dark and the words _the next morning…_ appeared.

 _Anni, her face pale and scrunched up against the weak light of the morning sun, was leaning up against a tree in what appeared to be a park, legs stretched out in front of her and arms wrapped around her ribs. She reached up with one hand and massaged her temples. A stick cracked nearby, and Anni looked up._

 _Leo stumbled out from a copse of bushes, lifting a hand against the light and making a soft hissing noise. Anni rolled her eyes._

" _Well, good morning, sunshine. Sleep well?"_

" _So. Hungover." Leo muttered. He stumbled a couple more steps, knelt, then flopped forward, burying his face in Anni's lap. He gave a contented sigh. "Blessed darkness, I come to thee."_

 _Anni rolled her eyes. "And yet another 'I-should-have-listened-to-Anni moment in the life of Leo Valdez. Didn't I tell you not to drink so much?" She poked his shoulder. "Get off me."_

" _No…you can handle it." Leo muttered. 'I can hold my beer."_

" _No you can't. Face it, Leo, you're a total lightweight."_

" _Am not!" Leo sat up to glare at her, then groaned "Stupid sun…too bright… headache…" and flopped back. Anni rolled her eyes again and poked him hard in the back, then began to pick leaves out of his curls almost absentmindedly, her eyes lifting to focus on the sky. Then a mischievous grin spread across her face and she looked down at Leo, giving him a hard shove._

 _Leo rolled off her lap and let out an unmanly shriek, covering his face. Anni burst out laughing._

 _Leo looked up and glared at her halfheartedly. "You suck."_

" _You suck more."_

 _Leo stuck out his tongue. Anni retaliated._

"You two are mature." Piper muttered sarcastically. Leo stuck out his tongue at her.

"She was like my sister." he said, smiling up at the memory.

"So you weren't kidding when you said you could hold your liquor better than all of us?" Percy asked.

Leo shrugged, his famous grin splitting his face. "I probably could. Anni just thought it was funny to call me a lightweight because she could hold her liquor better than me."

Laughter rippled around the room.

The next memory started.

 _Leo and Anni were standing in front of a large, cheerful building with a stream of people entering, backpacks on their shoulders. For once, the two didn't look out of place. Everyone in the line looked homeless as well. Leo and Anni were eyeing the line carefully, before Anni sighed "Fuck it" and grabbed Leo's arm, marching into the building._

 _They were in one room that looked like a cafeteria, filled with long tables. Some people were sitting down and eating, others were standing in line. Anni marched up to the end of the line, dragging Leo._

"That was a homeless shelter. We could always find food there." Leo answered the six questioning looks aimed his way.

 _A tall, tanned teenage boy stood at the register, scanning cards people offered him. His hair was short and dark blonde. A small scar decorated his forehead. His eyes were hazel and cheerful. Leo blinked when he saw the boy and squinted, leaning forward. Anni raised an eyebrow._

" _What are you doing?" she asked, her voice low. Leo's eyes narrowed even more in concentration._

" _I've seen that guy before." He said quietly. Anni blinked and looked at the boy, instantly alert._

" _You've seen him before… like 'holy shit I've seen that guy before he's bad news we have to get out of here', or 'hey that guy was my best friend in preschool' I've seen him before?"_

 _Leo blinked and a smile spread across his face._

" _Jack." He said calmly. Anni raised an eyebrow._

" _What?"_

" _Jack. He was my best friend in preschool. I haven't seen him in forever, though… he moved when I was four."_

 _Anni blinked. "Huh. Guess I'm psychic."_

 _They made their way up to the register and Leo grinned at Jack. "Hey."_

" _Hey, man. How's your day going?" Jack asked, clearly distracted. He was making faces at an older girl in glasses who stood a little way down the counter, who had his dark blonde hair but lighter skin and blue eyes. She tossed her ponytail over her shoulder and made faces back at him._

"Is that Elizabeth?" Frank asked, remembering the seven-year-old from another memory. Leo gave a faint smile and nod.

"Yep." He said quietly. "That's them."

" _Hey, is your name Jack?"_

 _The boy looked at him and raised an eyebrow._

" _Jack Murray, right?" Leo pressed. "I'm Leo Valdez."_

" _Way to be creepy, Leo." Anni muttered next to him._

 _But it appeared Jack recognized the name, because his eyes lit up and a grin spread across his face._

" _Leo Valdez! Geez man, it's been a long time!"_

" _Yeah, I know." Leo responded._

" _Hey, Lizzy Beth!" Jack called down the counter. "C'mere."_

 _Elizabeth walked down the counter to her brother and raised her eyebrow at him._

" _Remember Leo? From forever ago?"_

 _Elizabeth squinted at Leo for a second before a grin spread across her face and she nodded. "Hey, Leo. Long time, no see. You two catch up." She grinned at her brother and then headed down to where she had been standing._

 _The memory fast-forwarded. Anni was sitting a little way away from Leo, who was talking to Jack excitedly. Anni was looking at a young man a few tables away, her eyes narrowed. It was clear she recognized him and didn't like it. Elizabeth sat beside her brother, calmly eating, her eyes far away._

" _So how long are you staying?" Leo asked._

 _Jack shrugged. "A few more days. Lizzy gets her community service hours and I get to test drive my grandparents Jeep!"_

 _The young man Anni was staring at turned his head slightly._

 _Again, the memory fast-forwarded. It was nighttime, and Leo was walking with Anni down a street, backpacks once again shouldered. It was obviously late; only a few people were out. The rumble of an engine cut through the silence._

 _A red Jeep cut around the corner, Elizabeth behind the wheel. Jack was sitting shotgun. Both were laughing, eyes bright with excitement. Elizabeth stopped at a red light, both she and Jack eagerly watching the light and waiting for it to change._

 _A voice spoke. "Friends of yours, baby?"_

 _An older Nick was standing behind Leo and Anni, though he was far different from the last time they had seen him. Taller and paler, his dark hair greasy, stubble all along his jaw, bags under his bloodshot eyes._

 _Leo flinched slightly, but responded defiantly. "Yeah, whats it to you?"_

 _A slow smile spread across Nick's face. "Yannow, I was arrested after that stunt you pulled, Leo. Put in rehab, too." He shook his head. "Not fun."_

 _His smile grew bigger and he reached for something belted around his hips._

 _A black pistol shone in the light of the streetlights. Leo's eyes widened. Anni, who had been beside him the whole time, grabbed his arm._

" _Nick, come on…" she whispered. "That was a really long time ago."_

" _Oh this ain't for you, baby." Nick said, still smiling._

 _The light changed ant the red Jeep started forward, quickly picking up speed. Nick pointed the pistol at the car and shot._

 _He had apparently been aiming for the window. Instead, he hit the front tire._

 _The car jerked, and Elizabeth's and Jacks faces went white as Elizabeth lost control. The car screeched sideways. Elizabeth let out a high-pitched scream that sounded like her brother's name before the Jeep flipped._

 _And flipped. And flipped._

 _With a horrible sound of metal crushing, the Jeep flipped three times before it slammed into a light post and stopped. Nick pocketed the pistol and walked away, still smiling._

 _Leo was across the street in a blink, yanking on the door and peering inside._

" _Jack! Elizabeth!"_

 _Anni, beside him, ran to the other side of the car and kicked the window, shattering it. She reached in and grabbed Jack, trying to pull him out. He was unconscious, his face bleeding. Anni was pulling, but she was still a small girl. He was too heavy for her._

" _Leo, help me, dammit!" she snapped. Leo ran around and helped her pull Jack out through the window. They managed to get Elizabeth, also unconscious and bleeding with her arm hanging at a strange angle, out and beside her brother as someone pulled over and called 911._

 _Leo and Anni were sitting outside a hospital room. Leo was staring at the ground, tears slipping noiselessly down his face. Anni was looking at him worriedly. Words from inside the hospital room floated out to the hall._

" _Broken arm…cracked collarbone…dislocated hip…concussion… broken wrist… possible punctured lung..."_

 _Leo turned his head to look at Anni. "I've decided."_

 _His voice was cracked and hoarse. Anni gave him a strange look._

" _Decided on what?"_

 _Leo looked back down at the floor. "I won't let Nick do anything else like that." He stood and grabbed his backpack. "We're going to California."_


	20. Chapter 20

**What's up, lovely readers of mine?**

 **Did you like that ending? Didjadidjadidja?**

 **Well, I haven't gotten complaints so far, so I'm assuming you guys don't mind that I skipped a few years. Here's another big hug scene for you guys!**

 **And thank you, THANK YOU, so so much, for sticking with me! You guys have NO idea how much that means to me!**

 **Here's chapter twenty!**

 **Disclaimer: I sent Santa an early letter asking for the PJO franchise for Christmas. I have his response right here.**

 **Dear Archduchess of Books,**

 **HA! Keep dreaming, kid.**

 **Sincerely, Santa.**

There was complete silence for a moment before Jason turned to Leo and hugged him.

"Oh Leo…" Piper whispered, getting up to do the same.

Once again, Leo was the center of a demigod group hug. He had been staring at the table, and now, leaning back into his friends, he gave a small smile and said softly "They're okay now. Anni found them on Facebook a few weeks after on a library computer. Jack's apparently going to have a new scar on his chin and Elizabeth has one on her hip, but their mom said they were going to be just fine."

The next memory started, and Leo, seeing it, shrank back into his web of support. Seeing the concerned looks, he sighed, then whispered "This is the last time I ever saw her."

The demigods shot each other apprehensive looks as the sounds of a bus station filtered into the room.

 _Anni and Leo both looked exhausted and tense, standing in the middle of a crowded terminal. Leo's face was scratched up, and his hair was plastered to one side of his head like he had just woken up._

 _Anni, meanwhile, was studying the terminal, her five-foot frame so tense she was practically vibrating, like a stretched rubber band. Her hands were shaking. She clenched them into fists, shoved them into her pockets, blew out a huff of air that sent unwashed strands of blonde hair out of her face and turned forcefully to Leo._

" _Alright, here's the deal."_

 _Leo raised an eyebrow at her._

" _That damn cop saw us coming in here. While I'm sure we've lost him for now, we have a tiny window of time before he gives up searching and calls for backup. Hopefully by then we will be on the bus, heading to California and safety. But if our window of time runs out, I vote we stay here until tomorrow. Okay?"_

 _Leo nodded. "Sounds good."_

" _They were there for a little while longer, nothing more eventful happening until the bus began to pull up._

 _Anni and Leo got up excitedly, swinging backpacks onto shoulders, before Anni glanced behind her and her eyes widened._

" _Fuck."_

 _Three officers in LCPD_ **(Las Cruces Police Department)** _uniforms were coming down the platform. Leo noticed them too. His own eyes widened. He and Anni gave each other panicked looks. They had only a minute before the police saw them… and a minute would not be enough to get them both on the bus._

 _Leo looked back and forth for a moment before he turned to Anni, a determined look on his face. He pushed her towards the crowd amassing to get on. "Go."_

" _What?"_

" _Go without me. I'll get there another way."_

" _I am NOT leaving you here! Are you psycho?"_

" _Anni, just go! I'll meet you…in San Francisco, okay? The place you can go for a tour of Alcatraz Island. I'll be there as soon as I can."_

 _Anni looked at him for a second, bottom lip trembling, before she flung her arms around Leo's shoulders in a tight hug._

Leo closed his eyes. Anni's jacket had smelled like dust, gravel, and wet grass, with a hint of body odor and stale cigarettes lingering underneath. Her arms had been trembling even as she practically strangled him with the force of her grip. He was half sure he had felt a tear land on his shoulder and had felt Anni give a shuddering breath into his shoulder before she had let go. He wished he had held on to her that tightly, but he had given her no more than a quick, hard squeeze before pushing her gently away, towards the bus.

" _You are psycho." Anni muttered, stepping away from him. "You better meet me there, understand, shithead?"_

 _Leo nodded, tears glimmering in the corners of his eyes. "Got it. Now move."_

 _Anni headed for the crowd and vanished just as the police noticed Leo._

" _Hey, kid!"_

 _Leo took off, leading the police out of the terminal and away from Anni._

There was silence. Leo was sitting there in the middle of a demigod group hug, eyes closed. Percy was staring up at the memory. Hazel had her arms wrapped around Leo's shoulders. Frank had one arm wrapped around Hazel. Annabeth, Jason, and Piper were the three Leo was leaning against.

Suddenly, Annabeth spoke.

"Leo, we can stop in California, you can see her, let her know you're not dead…"

She trailed off, as Leo was shaking his head gently.

"Thanks, Annabeth, but that wouldn't work."

Six pairs of eyes blinked at him. He sighed and pointed up to the projection.

"Watch."

 _Leo was lying in what was clearly the Hephaestus cabin in Camp Half-Blood, fast asleep. His features scrunched up and he twisted around, the sheet and blankets tangling around his legs._

"This was right after the quest to free Hera." Said Leo quietly. "I had been thinking about leaving and going to find her, it had been almost a year, but then…" he gulped and blinked. His voice grew quiet and choked with tears. He gestured.

"This happened."

 _The memory zoomed in on Leo's face, before changing into a completely different scene. The air took on a hazy, dreamlike quality._

 _In Leo's dream, Anni, looking very much the same as she had since splitting up with Leo except taller, skinnier and more exhausted, was walking with her head bowed and shoulders hunched down a dark street lined with colorful buildings. It was obviously very late. Her hands, balled into fists, swung at her sides. She shoved them into her pockets._

 _A light on caught her attention, and she paused right beside a streetlight. The light belonged to a twenty-four-hour store seven doors down from the corner she stood on, with only one very bored-looking cashier at the counter. No customers._

 _A predatory smile flickered across Anni's face, her tired green eyes brightening for a moment. She looked back over her shoulder, then forward along the street, then flicked her hair out of her eyes, pulled her hood up, and walked down towards the store._

 _She walked in, not acknowledging the clerk at the counter, and headed for the back, where a sign advertised a restroom. She locked the door of the girl's bathroom, then pulled her hood off. She stared into the mirror for a moment, then slowly reached for the waistband of her jeans._

 _From her jeans she pulled a very realistic toy pistol. The only thing to give that fact away was the bright orange tip on the end of the barrel. Calmly, Anni snapped that piece off and dropped it into the trash can next to the sink._

 _She tucked the toy, now resembling a real pistol, back into her waistband and pulled her shirt down over it. She turned on the sink, cupped her hands beneath the stream of water, and tossed the water back onto her face, pushing it back through her hair, plastering loose strands back against her head. She gazed into the mirror one more time before pulling her hood back up._

 _The cashier, a middle-aged man, barely glanced up as Anni exited the bathroom. She made her way down the aisles, heading for the door. Her hand slipped out of her pocket and snatched a bag of Goldfish, slipping it into her pocket before continuing, at the same measured pace. She reached for a bottle of water…_

" _I wouldn't do that if I was you, miss."_

 _The cashier had stood up and was looking at her._

" _No one steals from here."_

 _Anni looked at him for a second before a grin spread across her face and she snatched the bottle._

" _Come and get me."_

 _She spun and ran out._

 _The cashier cursed heavily, reached down behind the counter, and grabbed a shotgun from behind the counter, striding towards the door._

 _Anni had almost reached the corner when the sound of a shotgun being cocked sounded behind her. She spun, her hand going to her waist, and pulled the toy pistol free. A small, triumphant smile spread across her face._

 _The cashier, looking panicked, pulled the trigger._

 _There was a very loud blast and a spurt of red._

 _The bullet caught Anni's temple, knocking her head to the side and her body back. Time seemed to slow as her body fell in a grotesquely graceful arc, landing half in, half out of the streetlight. The small smile was still there, her eyes glassy and glazed over. A small pool of blood stained the sidewalk and a streak of Anni's hair ruby red._

 _The dream froze, and Leo, who was suddenly standing on the corner beside Anni's body, fell to his knees beside her body._

" _Anni, Anni, don't you dare die on me, you bitch, you better not die on me…" Leo was crying, his hand helplessly fluttering over Anni's hair and her wound. "If you die I'm gonna bring you back to life and kill you again, do you understand me?"_

" _She can't hear you." A soft female voice spoke._

 _Leo whipped around and almost fell on his butt._

 _Hera was standing behind him, a sad look on her face, dressed in jeans and a white sweater with brown boots._

" _This happened a week ago, Leo. There wasn't even an obituary." Hera said gently. She came forward and crouched next to him._

" _I know we didn't part on good terms, Leo, but I also knew you would go after her. You would go, but never find her. You needed to know about this." She gestured towards Anni's body._

" _You are one of my chosen heroes, Leo. I do care about you. I showed you this to help you understand… to help you understand why you can never go back to your old life."_

 _She smiled at him gently, then held out her hand, palm up. A white rose appeared in her hand. She laid it gently on Anni's chest before standing and walking away, disappearing in a white mist that smelled like poppies. Leo stared after her for a second before slowly reaching out and closing Anni's eyes._

 _The dream suddenly faded away and Leo sat bolt upright in bed, gasping. It was morning. One of his siblings glanced curiously over at him._

" _You okay, Leo?"_

 _He nodded. "Yeah, just…bad dream."_

" _Oh gods, I hate those. Especially then they're warnings, you know? Or when the gods talk to you."_

 _Leo blinked. "But… their just dreams. Right?"_

 _His brother shook his head. "Not if you're a demigod. Usually, when we dream things, it's real."_

 _Leo blinked, then said, slowly "So if, say, somebody died in your dream. It's real? The person actually would die?"_

" _Yep."_

 _Leo paled._

 _His brother frowned. "You don't look so good."_

 _Leo shook his head. "I'm fine."_

 _He lay back down._

" _I'll be out in a minute, okay? Don't really feel like breakfast."_

 _His brother gave him a strange look but said nothing else, just left. Leo was alone._

 _And, for the first time since Abuela had died, he cried._

Past Leo wasn't the only one. Everyone in the dining room was crying and hugging each other. Leo was being smothered on three sides by Hazel, Piper, and Frank. He was crying too, silent tears sliding down his cheeks and chin.

"I still miss her. I didn't even hug her properly back at the bus station, I was so anxious to get her on there. And she died waiting for me. In a way, it's my fault."

He took a deep, shuddering breath as three pairs of arms tightened around him.

They stayed like that for a good few minutes… until Coach Hedge busted in, waving his baseball bat and wanting to know why the Hello Kitty he had been locked up in his room.

A week later, things had calmed. The demigods treated Leo the same as always, except they tried to also let him know he was a valued member of the team. Every time Hera came up, one of them would gracefully steer that conversation away… unless they were Coach Hedge. The coach just wanted to go find the goddess and smack her with his baseball bat for daring to lock him in his room for that long.

But disaster had to strike.

"We're gonna have to stop somewhere and stock up on supplies and find out what the fuck is wrong with this engine." Leo had become more free about using language to express his frustration.

Festus let out a series of creaks and clicks. Leo listened carefully, then grinned at them all.

"Alright, kiddos, hold on. Uncle Leo's gotta make a stop."

"Where?" Annabeth asked.

"My old stomping grounds. We're stopping in Houston."


	21. Chapter 21

**AUTHORS NOTE! WHAT!**

 **No, guys, chapter 20 was NOT the end of the story. It IS the end of the memories though, so if that's all you were reading it for, then stop right here.**

 **However, my darlings, if you want to see what other crazy stuff Im gonna come up with, then please continue. For the rest of the story, I shall tell of Leo's** _ **future:**_ **the way I imagine it to be. It shall begin with Chapter 22, during which you see the demigods adventures in Houston and see Nick get whats coming to him… plus a certain foster parent of Leos… and when the chapter ends, I promise you the cliffhanger to end all cliffhangers!**

 **From there, I promise, the whole "future as I imagine it to be" thing will make sense.**

 **Also, quick personal note: WHO ELSE BESIDES ME SAW (and loved!) FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM! EEEEEE!**

 **As you can tell, I am so not excited about it.**

 **Anyway, I hope you read this note guys, as you can tell, its pretty imperative.**

 **LOVE YOU ALL!**


	22. Chapter 22

**I'M BAAAACK!**

 **Did you guys miss me?**

 **To all of you who have reviewed asking me to tell you about Anni and who she is, I promise that's coming up soon!**

 **Seriously, you guys are the best.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own PJO. I do own a bunny.**

"You have got to be joking."

This is really not something people generally want to hear from Leo Valdez, especially when he looks like death warmed over after coming out of the engine room.

"Festus, come on. I need some good news!"

The dragon head creaked at him indignantly.

"Well, that's rude."

The ship was currently sitting in a park by Houston, Texas. Leo had been down in the engine room for the past few hours. Banging, steam, and quite a lot of colorful cursing had come from the room. When Leo had finally come back on deck, he had been excited, declaring that the engine was fixed and they would be flying again.

Unfortunately, it looked like that wasn't happening soon.

Leo sighed and turned to them. "Here's the deal, guys. The engine is fixed, but Festus says that there is no possible way to get into the air tonight. And as if that wasn't bad enough, apparently the smell of seven demigods is being magnified by the ship, so we can't sleep here tonight."

They all exchanged tense looks.

"Where would we sleep, then?" Jason asked.

Festus made another series of creaks and clicks. Leo gave him an incredulous look, then sighed.

"In the city."

…

Leo was clearly nervous as they walked into the city: his hand kept twitching toward his pocket every time someone glanced at them. He had insisted that everyone carry a knife that could hurt a mortal, seeing as they could end up sleeping in some pretty dangerous places.

They had made it pretty far from the park when a hoarse voice hailed them from an alley.

"Valdez?"

A teenage girl about their age with brown hair cut short came towards them, a joint dangling from her fingers. She smiled, showing teeth that had obviously not been brushed for a while, and nodded to him. "Nice to see ya back, Valdez. Who're these people?" She gestured with her chin towards the other demigods.

"Hey, Jade. Friends of mine." Said Leo tightly.

Another young woman wearing a very low-cut red top and a tiny pair of blue jean shorts came up behind Jade. Her blonde hair was very long, lank, and dull, and she was wearing lots of very flashy makeup with very red lipstick. Her bleary brown eyes took in the group, Percy and Jason in particular, before those red lips curved in a seductive smile.

"Hey, sugar." She purred, running her fingers through her hair and slowly licking her lips, pushing her rather sizable chest out. "Y'all got a joint? I'll give ya a little somethin in return…"

"Back off, Scarlett." Leo snapped. "We don't got nothing."

 **(No offense to anyone named Jade or Scarlett, I just pulled the names out of my butt, sorry if I offend.)**

Scarlett shrugged and leaned against the wall. Jade eyed them again, taking a long drag from her cigarette, before she said "There's an old apartment buildin, just down there." She nodded her head down the street. "No one's been there for ages. If y'all lookin for someplace to sleep, that's a good spot."

Leo raised an eyebrow at her. "That's unlike ya, Jade. Who told you to tell me that?"

Jade gave a sweet smile. "An old friend of yours, sweetie. What's his name… big guy? Dark hair? Leopard tattoo?" She indicated her bicep, her smile becoming a smirk.

Leo tensed ever-so-slightly, but shrugged. "Eh, can't hurt. C'mon, guys."

Jade and Scarlett had faded out of sight by the time Leo's shoulders relaxed the tiniest bit.

"Gods, I hate those girls." He muttered. Seeing everyone's quizzical looks, he sighed. "Jade will do literally anything for a joint and Scarlett will do anyone for one. They hate me and the feelings mutual."

He sighed again before continuing down the street.

Just like Jade had said, there was an old apartment building in a slew of other abandoned buildings, and sure enough, when Leo cautiously opened the door and peeked in, there a few people sitting in the hallways who glanced up with blank faces before sinking back into a stupor… all except for one young woman holding a baby, who saw them and blinked in recognition.

"Leo?" the hoarse whisper carried across the decrepit lobby.

Leo blinked before whispering back "Riley?"

Sure enough, the young woman holding the baby turned out to be an older version of the girl from Leo's memories. She came forward, eyes flicking over the group of people. The baby fussed a bit and she rocked it gently, humming in a soothing manner.

"What's his name?" Leo asked, gesturing to the baby.

"Nathan." Riley whispered. Having successfully calmed down the baby, she gestured with her head towards the door marked STAIRS.

"Let's head up." She whispered. "Too many ears down here."

The stairs were dark, narrow, and smelled heavily of cigarettes, body odor, and cat pee. They headed up a couple floors before Riley actually stepped out of the stairwell into the mercifully less smelly hall.

"Only one person lives up here." She said, "and she's at work right now, tryin to make somethin better for herself. Wish I'd done that, but I'm doing it now, for Nathan."

"So, Leo." Riley said, settling back against the wall and sinking to the floor. "What're you doin here again? It's been a couple years. Thought you and Anni skipped town."

 **(Just to clarify: Leo and Anni split up just before Leo was sent to the Wilderness School, where he spent about six months. Then he went to camp, and during the eight or so months Percy was missing, he found out Anni was dead, then he was busy sailing the Argo 2, so it's been about two years since he last saw Anni)**

Leo winced slightly at the sound of her name, but shrugged. "Eh, just passin through."

From below, the street door opened and footsteps sounded. One of the men downstairs whistled.

"Nice jeans!"

"Fuck off!" came the response, and as laughter resonated from downstairs, the footsteps started up the stairs, moving quickly. Nathan had begun fussing again and Riley was singing softly to him, rocking him back and forth, trying to calm him down. A soft laugh was heard from behind the door.

"Whatsamatter, Riley, kid givin you trouble again?" asked the owner of the voice as they pushed open the door… then they froze, eyes locked on Leo, who was doing the same.

Up on Olympus, watching the whole thing unfold, Hera winced. Dammit. This would take some explaining.


	23. Chapter 23

**Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!**

 **I know, I know, I haven't updated in forever. I suck. But in my defense, it was Christmas, and then I went out of town for a while. During that time, I had no access to my computer. But now I do so here's your chapter!**

 **You guys are so awesome!**

 **Leo's P.O.V**

Anni stood in the doorway, eyes wide with shock and her mouth hanging open a little. One hand was still on the door, the other at her side. She was wearing slightly cleaner clothes since the last time he had seen her: blue jeans a little ripped at the knees and a denim jacket missing most of its buttons. Under the jacket she was wearing a too-big purple T-shirt. Her hair was still in a ponytail, though it had clearly been washed recently. She had gotten taller over the last two years: probably five two instead of five foot. He could still see her knife in her pocket.

"Leo?"

Anni's voice was soft, slightly rough, and solidified in Leo's mind that he was not hallucinating.

"Anni?"

The word seemed to leave his mouth with no permission whatsoever from his brain.

Anni's eyes grew exponentially wider… before suddenly narrowing in anger.

He felt the punch land on his chest before he saw it.

"You ASSHOLE!" Anni yelled, stepping closer to him. Her next punch caught him across the face. Leo yelled and fell, landing on his back in the middle of the hallway. Anni went after him, her knees on the ground on either side of his ribs, and punched him again, on the other side of his face.

"I thought you were dead!" Anni yelled, pulling her arm back for another punch. "Dammit, Leo!"

Sudden anger flared to life in Leo's gut. He blocked the punch with his arm and shot his other fist forward, hitting Anni in the stomach. She huffed, the air knocked out of her, and fell backward. Leo shoved her off of him and rolled to his feet.

"I thought YOU were dead!" he yelled at her, his next punch clipping her chin as she rose. "You left and I never saw you again!"

Anni let out a screech of derisive laughter.

"I left!? You pushed me on that damn train, Leo!" She swung again. Leo jumped back, barely avoiding a hit to his ribs. Anni was still yelling. "I went to California and I waited and waited, right where we said we would meet! I waited for six months! You never showed up!"

Leo swung again. Anni dodged and lunged, tackling him.

Yelling obscenities, they wrestled on the floor, hitting and kicking for a little longer before Anni pinned his wrists against the carpet. She hovered over him for a second, glaring, before all the anger seemed to leave her as suddenly as it had come.

"Fuck." She whispered. "I missed you, Leo."

She stood up and pulled him to his feet before pulling him into the tightest hug she had ever given him. Leo, suddenly not angry either, wrapped his arms around her and hugged her back, just as tight.

"I missed you too." He whispered against her hair.

She was thin and bony under her clothes. She smelled like the musty hallway, French fries, chlorine, and moldy sheets. There was still the hint of stale cigarettes beneath it all. And once again, he swore he could feel a wet spot growing on his shoulder, where Anni's face was pressed. He felt her hand gather a fistful of the fabric of his jacket, and feeling that small gesture had a few tears falling down his face.

That is until a throat cleared behind him.

 **General P.O.V**

The demigods had been very freaked out when Anni had appeared, very much alive, in the doorway from the stairwell. They had been concerned when she had attacked Leo and the two were fighting. And now they were confused… and still very freaked out.

"What's going on?"

Percy asked the question on everyone's mind.

Anni pulled away from Leo and raised her eyebrow.

"And you are?"

Riley, still sitting by the wall, quietly got up and left.

"I'm Percy."

Anni's eyes traveled slowly over each of the seven, her expression bored, her eyes analyzing. She took in the new clothes, the clean hair, the lean, healthy looks of all of them, and raised an eyebrow at Leo.

"You have some explaining to do."

…

Leo gave her the mortal's version: that he had been taken to the Wilderness School after being caught in New Mexico, where he had met everyone currently with him, and they had been going to school there for a couple years before deciding to run and ending up here. Anni watched him for a second after the whole narrative was over, then slowly nodded.

"Should've known you'd pull something like that, dumbass." She said affectionately, tousling his hair.

She explained that after waiting in California and realizing Leo must be dead, she had left. She had found the friends her aunt had told her about all those years ago, but hadn't stayed long. "They were dicks, Leo, honestly. Everything had to be all precise. Perfect. Well, I ain't perfect, so I ran." She had stolen enough money from them for a bus ticket back to Houston, but had fallen asleep and missed the stop, waking up in Tennessee, and had gone on from there. She had left quickly when a police officer had begun chasing her after recognizing her face from MISSING posters, jumping on another bus and ending up in Boston, Massachusetts. She had stayed there for a few months before jumping on a train, ending up back in Houston.

"I got a job now." She told Leo, straightening up slightly with pride. "It doesn't pay much, but I can get food and a brush and stuff like that, so I look and smell a little less homeless."

She worked at a local pool, in the concession stand. "I can sneak y'all in there for showers tomorrow, before you leave." She said casually. At Leo's startled look, she shrugged. "Just assuming. No one wants to stay in this shithole for more than one night."

"Now." Anni stood up and brushed off her jeans. "Anyone hungry? I'm starved. Let's eat."

…

They ended up walking around the same park the Argo 2 was in, though the demigods were careful to steer far away from that particular corner of the park. Other than that, they walked and talked to each other, keeping their voices low. Anni and Leo were walking close together a little ahead of the others, talking so softly the others couldn't hear a word.

Maybe that was a good thing, as the current topic of interest was Anni and Leo.

Hazel, Piper, Annabeth marveled at the odds of them meeting like that. Percy and Jason were having an intense discussion on what the two were talking about. Frank was just walking, eyes fixed on Anni and Leo up ahead, lost in his own thoughts.

It was Frank that noticed the change.

"Guys." He said softly. They all looked at him, then up towards Leo and Anni.

Leo was standing stock-still and tense in the middle of the path, Anni next to him with her hand on his arm as though she had stopped him. Both were staring a little to the left of them with expressions of fear and absolute horror on their faces. The others followed their gazes.

Jogging along, not noticing them, was a tall, statuesque woman, her long black hair pulled up into a bouncing ponytail and her perfect body encased in a pair of yoga pants with a neon pink sports bra and running shoes.

" _Teresa._ " The whispered word left eight throats.

Anni gripped Leo's arm and pulled, her voice low and frantic. "Leowehavetogowehavetogorightnow."

Leo stood where he was, breathing heavily and eyes wide and unblinking. He was starting to shake.

Anni was shaking too, her 'flight' instinct kicking in. "Leoletsgobeforesheseesus."

Suddenly, Annabeth marched up and grasped Leo's shoulder.

"Don't worry." She said softly. "It's okay."

And she marched over to Teresa, gray eyes stormy and even her blonde curls trembling with anger.

Leo let out a terrified squeak. Anni was gripping his arm so hard her fingers would probably leave bruises. The other demigods watched Annabeth, stony-faced.

Annabeth stretched her lips into a fake smile and tapped Teresa's shoulder. "Excuse me?"

The woman glanced at her.

"Are you Teresa Brewer?"

The woman looked confused, but nodded.

Annabeth didn't say anything else. Her expression hardened into something that would send a full- grown Minotaur running for Mommy.

Her punch came out of nowhere and landed square on Teresa's perfect nose. There was a crunching sound and bright red blood splattered across Teresa's cheekbones and forehead. Some landed in her hair.

Teresa screamed and staggered backwards, her hand coming up to cover her nose as she stared at Annabeth. "What the…"

She didn't get a chance to finish. Annabeth's next punch hit her eye, which instantly swelled. Another punch caught her in the stomach. A kick nearly dislocated her knee and sent Teresa falling to the ground. Then Annabeth set upon her, slapping and scratching and punching and pulling hair, before calmly standing up and wiping blood from her cheek.

She reached down and buried her hand into Teresa's long black hair, which was falling out of its ponytail, twisting her fingers into it before pulling sharply. Teresa whimpered as Annabeth pulled her face up to the same level as hers.

"Go to the police." Annabeth whispered. "Go turn yourself in for what you've been doing to your foster kids. If you don't, I'll know. I'll come back. And believe me, you'll be wishing for this beating then."

She shoved Teresa back to the ground and aimed a kick at her ribs. "Go."

Teresa was off, staggering away from Annabeth, sobbing and trying to stop her nose from bleeding.

Annabeth turned and came back to the others. "Let's go."

Everyone was staring at her wide-eyed.

Annabeth raised an eyebrow. "What?"

Leo suddenly pulled away from Anni and threw his arms around Annabeth, whispering "thankyouthankyouthankyou" into her shoulder. Annabeth hugged him back and noticed, over Leo's shoulder, that Anni was standing there, tears in her own eyes and a grin spreading across her face. Anni marched over and lightly punched Annabeth's shoulder.

"Leo." She said quietly, grinning. "Your friends are fucking awesome."

…

Later that night, back at the apartment building, Leo snuck out when everyone was asleep and went up to the roof. Anni was sitting there, legs dangling over the edge. She glanced back at him and grinned, nodding in greeting, before leaning into his side as he sat down. Leo slung his arm over her shoulders, still barely able to understand the reality of the solid, comforting presence against his side.

They sat like that for a while before Anni spoke.

"That story you told me was complete bullshit."

Leo shrugged. "So was the one you told me. At least partly."

Anni grinned up at him. "Nah, it was the truth. Just left out a few things."

Leo rolled his eyes. There was comfortable silence before Anni spoke up again.

"You gonna tell me the truth?"

Leo looked down at her. "Why don't you tell me the truth first?"

 **HAHAHAHAHAHA!**

 **NO REGRETS!**

 **Next chapter I'll explain everything about Anni. EVERYTHING. Any questions, leave them in reviews, and I shall answer them! Love you guys!**


	24. Chapter 24

**Oh my gosh, you guys. One hundred and eleven reviews. Nineteen thousand plus views. I can't believe so many people like this story! I'm literally crying a little right now.**

 **Thank you, THANK YOU ALL, so very much, for reading this! It really means a lot to me.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own PJO. Wrong gender, wrong age, wrong place of residence.**

 **General P.O.V**

 **April 8** **th** **, 1999…**

The night nurse walked into the room at the maternity ward to find the young mother was awake.

"She's crying." the mother said, gesturing weakly toward the bassinet beside her bed. "Could you…"

"Of course." The nurse walked over.

The baby was crying, still swaddled in her striped blanket, a tiny pink hat on her head. The nurse lifted her and placed the baby in her mother's arms.

"Shhh…" the mother soothed as her baby stopped crying and began to nurse. "There we are, baby." She gave the nurse an exhausted smile. "Thank you. I'm still sore from the surgery."

"Don't worry about it, of course you are. Those C-sections aren't fun once you wake up, I know." the nurse bustled around for a second, checking that everything was all right, adjusting the bed so the mother was sitting up a little.

"Julia."

A tall young woman, a little older then the new mother, stood in the doorway, long black hair pulled up into a ponytail and stern brown eyes examining the entire room, lingering on the nurse's proximity to the woman and the baby.

"Julia, do you need help? Is she all right?" The woman crossed the room while the young mother sighed, her own brown eyes showing amusement and affection.

"Macy, I'm fine. She was just hungry."

"And you got up?"

"Of course not, Kathryn was kind enough to help me." She nodded towards the nurse, whose name tag was on full display. Macy relaxed slightly.

"I'm sorry, but what are you doing here? Visiting hours are over."

"I'm staying here with my sister." Macy replied, lifting her chin. Her eyes challenged the nurse to say one word about her staying there.

The nurse accepted the challenge. "You can't stay here unless you're an immediate relative, I'm sorry."

"These are special circumstances." Macy said calmly, walking over and sitting down in a chair beside Julia's bed. The nurse opened her mouth to say something else, but Julia gently raised her hand to stop her.

"The baby's father isn't here, and my parents won't get here until tomorrow. I'd really like her to stay here with me… please? So I'm not alone?"

The nurse studied the two women, then sighed.

"All right."

"Thank you." Julia smiled.

The nurse left. The baby stopped nursing and lay quietly in Julia's arms. Macy leaned forward.

"Has she opened her eyes yet?"

Julia shook her head. "No, but the nurses say that's fine. She'll probably open them tonight or tomorrow." Julia gazed down at the baby, her voice taking on a reverent tone. "Isn't she beautiful?"

Macy glanced at the baby as well. "Gorgeous."

Julia pressed a kiss to her daughter's forehead. "Are you sleepy, little one?" The baby, full and warm, had fallen asleep. Julia made to get up and winced.

"Here, I'll get her." Macy swooped in and lifted the baby from Julia's arms, laying her in the bassinet. As she lifted her arms away, one little arm emerged from a fold in the blanket, and the baby's features scrunched. Macy let the tiny fist grasp her finger. The baby calmed and continued sleeping.

"She's got a tight grip." Said Macy softly.

"She's a fighter." Said Julia from her bed. She had laid back and closed her eyes. Macy gently extracted her finger and went to her sister's side.

The two talked for a while longer before Julia fell asleep and Macy did the same, slumped on the edge of the bed, one hand resting on Julia's.

All was quiet in the little room… before a soft breeze wafted through the door. A moment later, a young man suddenly appeared in the middle of the room, wearing a nurse's uniform. He had a deep tan, curly black hair, and green eyes that, at the moment, looked furtive. He glanced over at the two sleeping women before sneaking past them and bending over the bassinet.

He examined the baby carefully, reaching for her, his fingers barely brushing her soft cheek. A smile spread suddenly across his face and he let out a soft chuckle.

The baby had opened her eyes, which were green and a little bleary. Her fist waved in the air. She focused on the man beside her bassinet.

"Well, hello there, little one." He whispered.

He watched the baby for a moment before speaking.

"I know you're too young to understand. But you should know me, and your importance."

He took a deep breath. "I'm your father, child. My name is Zephyrus, the god of the west wind, and you, little Annaliese, are my only daughter, and my first demigod child."

Baby Anni was still waving her fist. Zephyrus nudged his finger against her hand, which grasped his finger. He smiled a little.

"Ah, you're a fighter, aren't you, little one? That's good. I'm not known for being a fighter. It's just as well that you can be."

He paused for a moment before bending and kissing the baby's forehead.

"My birthday gift to you is this." He whispered against the soft fuzz covering the baby's head. "Whenever you wish, my daughter, the West Wind shall be at your command."

He kissed her forehead again, then extricated his finger and straightened. He gazed down at the baby, and she looked up at him.

"Sleep well, Annaliese Marie." Zephyrus whispered, and he dissolved into wind which gently brushed the baby's cheek before wafting out of the door. It closed gently behind him.

 **April 9** **th** **, 1999…**

Anni was awake and nursing when she met her grandparents for the first time.

"Julia!"

"Hi, Dad!"

The older man in the doorway immediately comes over and presses a kiss to his daughter's forehead, but the woman with him, Julia's stepmother, hovers in the doorway. Her own daughter, Macy, stands beside her.

"Any sign of him?"

Camilla Brown's voice is low, private.

"No."

Macy's tone matches her mothers.

They watch Liam Brown coo over his granddaughter for a moment before Camilla speaks again.

"Do you think it could be Mars?"

Macy shakes her head.

"Julia doesn't seem his type. She's a sweet girl, but she's no warrior."

Camilla studies the bundle in Julia's arms.

"Let's hope her daughter is. She'll need to be to survive Lupa and her wolves."

Liam turns to the doorway and instantly Camilla's stern face melts into a smile. She comes forward and also kisses Julia's forehead.

"Well, isn't she precious!?" she coos, gazing at the baby, who's watching her with one eye open. "It's nice to meet you, Annaliese."

Macy also comes forward, showing no trace of the conversation she had just had with her mother. For a moment, it's all quiet while they all admire the baby.

Then she opens her mouth and lets out an earsplitting wail. Julia lifts her to her shoulder and gently pats her back. When the burp comes, a sudden gust of wind blows through the room. Macy and Camilla instantly glance at each other while Liam moves toward the open door.

"It's a windy day. Someone must have just come in." he says, closing the door. Camilla nods and smiles at her husband and stepdaughter.

"Yes, that must be it." She sends a significant glance Macy's way before she comes forward, reaching into her purse and pulling out a tiny yellow onesie and a pink sleeper with a purple and blue butterfly on it.

"Now, let's see how Annaliese looks in these, shall we?"

 **July 7** **th** **, 2003…**

"ANNI!"

Julia's voice echoed slightly among the trees. She had decided it might be a good idea to take her energetic four-year-old for a weekend hike, but she had lost sight of the blonde pigtails she had been following. Turning in a circle, she called yet again.

"ANNI!"

 **Anni's P.O.V**

Anni could hear Mommy calling her, but she didn't want to be with Mommy anymore. She didn't like holding Mommy's hand and staying on the trail. She wanted to run!

So she did. She ran and ran. Her feet in their little boots Mommy had bought flew, her blond pigtails streamed out behind her like two small flags, and the look on her face was one of pure exhilaration.

When she gets older, she will think back to this early memory and scoff. Running rarely holds joy for her now.

A little way off the trail, Anni spotted a really big rock. Wouldn't Mommy be surprised to find her here! She started for the rock and began to climb.

It was easy to climb up, and soon she was standing at the top, hands on her hips, grinning. The warm breeze blew gently around her and she closed her eyes, grinning. She spread her arms out and spun in a slow circle.

Her eyes snapped open when her right foot slipped out from beneath her and she hurtled toward the edge. A fall from this height could result in a broken bone. She let out a scream.

Suddenly a strong arm looped around her waist and lifted her up, moving her safely a few feet away before her feet found the rock again and she saw her rescuer.

"Are you all right there, little lady?"

He was a man about Mommy's age, with curly dark hair and tanned skin. His green eyes darted over her, checking for injuries. Finding none, he smiled at her. "Yeah, your fine. Where's your mommy?"

Anni blinked. Where was Mommy? Suddenly scared, she spoke in a small voice. "I don't know."

"Well then, let's find her, shall we?" He winked at her and scooped her up, making Anni squeal.

"Watch this."

There was a sudden whoosh of red and gold and a swell of wind, and Anni found herself at the side of the trail just as her mother came around the corner.

"Anni!"

She was snatched up and held tightly.

"Where were you, I was so worried, oh _Anni_ …"

Her mother kisses her cheek and hugs her again.

"Don't you ever do that to me again, understand?"

Anni nods and her mother scoops her up. As they head back down the trail, Anni looks over her mother's shoulder and sees a single russet-red feather float down to land on the ground.

 **March 4** **th** **, 2004…**

"Mom, why don't I have a dad?"

Julia gave a soft sigh. She had rather naively hoped her daughter would never ask this question.

"He's gone, sweetie."

"Whaddya mean, gone?" the stubborn five-year-old demanded.

Julia sat down on her couch and pulled Anni into her lap, taking a deep breath.

"A few months before you were born, your daddy had to go on an ocean trip for business. There was a storm… he never came back."

Anni's nose scrunched in thought. "So… Daddy's dead?"

Julia shook her head and pulled her daughter close, tucking Anni's head under her chin. "No, sweetheart. Not dead. Just…lost at sea."

Later, Macy will tell Anni the truth.

…

Outside their apartment window, Zephyrus watched, shaking his head softly.

"Well." He muttered. "It worked for Poseidon…"

 **December 5** **th** **, 2005…**

Anni may have been in kindergarten, but she knew what was going on in the hospital.

Her mother was dying.

Cancer. Anni had learned to hate that word. It had wormed its way into her life right where it was most unwelcome. It would be leaving soon… but it would be taking her mother.

And Anni was not happy about it.

She couldn't scream and yell and kick cancer where the sun doesn't shine like she would have liked too, so she did so with the doctor. And the nurses. And her too-calm Aunt Macy. And basically everyone who looked at her sideways.

Her mother lay there, dying, as quietly as she had lived. Too quietly. Wasn't she trying to fight it? Didn't she want to stay here, with Anni?

At six years old, Anni couldn't do much. But she decided she was going to fight for her mother. She was going to make those doctors in their stupid white coats cure her mother. Julia Grace Brown was NOT dying if her six-year-old had anything to say about it.

Unfortunately, in moments like this, Anni had very little to say about it.

She stood beside her aunt, wearing a scratchy black dress with a black headband and shiny black shoes that pinched her toes. She was gripping Macy's hand hard enough to bruise and staring at the coffin that held her mother's body.

As the pastor began to talk, he was interrupted by sudden soft sobbing. Still standing there, Anni was crying. She dragged the back of her hand angrily across her face, smearing tears and snot across her cheek. Macy, stoic as always, tugged at her hand to make her stop.

The pastor started again. Anni let out another sob and yanked her hand out of Macy's.

Suddenly, Anni's self-control seemed to snap, and she broke away from her aunt and ran up to the coffin, sobbing wildly as she flung herself onto the coffin, sending flowers flying and leaving a long scratch in the polished wood of the coffin with her shoe.

Wind suddenly kicked up, blowing hard, sending Anni's blonde hair flying. Petals from roses and carnations seemed suddenly to grow wings as they soared up and away. Macy, heading towards her niece, had to stop when her skirt almost blew up around her hip. Other women grabbed for their hems as well. The pastor was gently trying to extract Anni from the coffin, but no one was sure if the little girl could hear him.

It was Liam who eventually came forward. He laid a hand on Anni's back and rubbed soothingly, murmuring words to her. Slowly, the wind died down until it was a gentle breeze, and Anni sat up and flung her arms around her grandfather's neck, wrapping her legs around his waist and burying her head in his shoulder. He carried her back to the group of mourners and held her for the rest of the ceremony.

…

Only a few weeks later, Camilla and Liam would die in a car accident, leaving Macy as Anni's main caretaker.

…

Macy was a daughter of Mars, and a veteran of the legion. She had known from the second Julia spoke about her boyfriend that he was a god, and when Anni was born she knew her niece was a demigod. She taught Anni a smattering of Latin, mainly things to say in a situation where a monster was there and Anni had no weapon. She taught her the value of the element of surprise. She taught her how to use a knife. And she taught her a skill most legionnaires could not handle: how to control the Mist.

Macy hoped these skills would help Anni rise above the rest. She had dreams of watching Anni be promoted to praetor. Ambition was something she had learned from Mars, and it was a quality that had helped her rise in the legion's ranks.

However, there were several problems Macy was unaware of. Anni's father was Greek, not Roman. No satyrs lived where they were, so there were none to take Anni to Camp Half-Blood. No wolves arrived to escort her to Camp Jupiter. And there was a young man down the road who had several times asked Macy out, being rejected each time, who was angry and vowed revenge.

 **May 22** **nd** **, 2007…**

Anni was climbing a tree when she heard a scream.

Her head whipped around. The scream had come from her house.

Right after the scream, there were four gunshots.

Anni scrambled for the earth, falling the last few feet and getting the wind knocked out of her. This saved her life: as she lay there in the leaves, a young man she had seen before raced past her and into the woods, carrying a shotgun. Had she been seen, she probably would have been dead too.

As it was, she scrambled to her feet and ran for the house, bare toes digging into the leaves and soil, breathing too hard to speak, or even scream, when she pushed open the door and saw the carnage.

Macy had been shot at point-blank range with a shotgun, three times in the chest and once in the face. Blood had spattered on the wall behind her.

Anni raced out, gagging, falling on her hands and knees a little way from the house and letting the contents of her stomach fly. When she finished, she staggered to her feet and ran as fast as she could to a neighbor's house. In the mountains where they lived, neighbors were few and far between.

By the time the paramedics got there, Macy was dead.

Anni didn't speak for the three days it took for her to be picked up by Child Protection Services, where she was taken to her home state of Texas. She said only two words, a soft "thank you" to the neighbor who had housed her, and was silent until she met her social worker Matthew Jacobs.

When she heard that she was to be placed in a foster home, she suddenly spoke up.

"Aunt Macy had friends who I'm supposed to go to."

Mr. Jacobs smiles and shakes his head. "Sorry, Annaliese…"

"It's Anni."

"…but no one lives at the place your aunt's will describes."

"Yes they do, and I'm supposed to go there."

Mr. Jacobs continues saying no, even as he dragged her down the hall. Anni stopped talking again, though her face remained in an angry scowl.

In the room Mr. Jacobs takes her to, there is another little boy who has just lost his mother. Anni, who has always been rather good at making friends, starts up a conversation.

When she leaves the room, Anni never expects to see the curly-haired boy again.

…

The young couple who foster Anni bring her to court when the young man who killed Macy is caught. She is brought to the stand as a witness, a small eight-year-old girl who can barely see over the witness stand.

She is asked a series of questions. For one question, the prosecutor holds up a picture in a plastic sleeve.

"Anni, do you recognize this young man?"

A nod.

"Could you speak up, please, sweetie?"

"Yes."

"How do you recognize him?"

"He came by a few times to see Aunt Macy."

"Why did he want to see your aunt?"

"He wanted to ask her out."

"And what did your aunt say?"

"She said no."

"Did you ever see him again?"

"Yes."

"When?"

"When Aunt Macy died. I heard a scream, then gunshots, and then I fell out of the tree I was climbing. I was lying there when he ran by. I saw his face."

"Was he carrying a shotgun?"

Anni's voice is tiny. "Yes."

The lawyer gave a significant look to the jury, then the judge. "No further questions, your honor."

…

Anni is plagued with night terrors after the trial, after reliving everything in gruesome detail. Her foster parents, unable to stop her screaming in the middle of the night and unable to deal with her ADHD, give her back a few days after her ninth birthday.

A week later, she is taken in by a young woman named Teresa Brewer, who's last foster kid ran away. She was kind to Anni, up until her first night and first night terror.

"SHUT UP YOU LITTLE BITCH!"

The scream wakes Anni up, but before she can truly process what was happening, Teresa is upon her, her breath stinking of whiskey and vodka.

Anni has a bloody nose, a sprained wrist, and a swelling cheekbone the next morning.

She learns pretty quickly not to scream in the middle of the night. She clenches her jaw hard enough to crack a tooth, "don't scream don't scream don't scream" playing in her head like a broken record.

She cries afterwards, huddled on her bed with her head on her knees.

It's after one of these night terrors that she hears it. She looks up.

A boy is standing outside of her window. She vaguely recognizes him.

Anni is impulsive, not thinking straight. When the boy states he's here to get her out, she doesn't hesitate, packs what little she owns, and leaves.

The boy's name is Leo, and he becomes her best friend.

…

After Leo shoves her onto the train, she sits back and takes a deep breath.

She can still remember the address like it was told to her yesterday.

"The Berkeley Hills. California."

She's going to Camp Jupiter.

…

Anni hates Camp Jupiter.

No one there remembers her aunt, and they are all suspicious of her because of how she arrives. She has had no training from Lupa, none of the usual things a Roman demigod has when arriving. Her time on the streets plus her own volatile temper and impulsive ways have made her nearly uncontrollable. She hates being restrained, hates being made to walk in lines, hates being forced into an alien rhythm.

She has learned to never rely on others, to trust only herself and one other person. It's hard to train the streets out of her. It's so hard, in fact, that Reyna slips up. She calls Anni "a useless legionnaire, a danger to everyone around her."

That night, Anni runs away. She has only been there a month.

She goes to the meeting place she and Leo had arranged. She goes back every day for five months, begging food and money from tourists, and watches for Leo.

Until one night, when she dreams of him.

She dreams of Leo on the streets, mouthing off to Nick. She dreams of Nick beating him before pulling out a knife and stabbing him.

She's screaming when she wakes up.

Juno appears to her when she falls asleep the next night, expressing her sadness at the 'truth' of the dream. Convinced Leo is dead; Anni decides to return to Texas.

Hera, content in her knowledge that Leo will now be completely focused on his quest and that Anni won't try to find him, Hera stops watching Anni.

When Anni ends up in Tennessee, she's still grieving. She stays withdrawn and barely eats or sleeps, too scared of the terrors that live in her dreams.

She would probably have actually died there in Tennessee if that cop had never recognized her.

After fleeing to Boston, Anni's walking down a street with her head down, trying to find a place to sleep, when someone barrels into her, knocking into her.

"What the…" Anni untangles herself and looks over.

A boy about her age stares at her with wide gray eyes from behind a curtain of blonde bangs. He's panting from running and looks like he's just seen a ghost.

Anni looks at the boy, then look off in the distance and sees a plume of smoke rising in the distance. Sirens wail.

Anni curses and grabs the boy, hauling him to his feet. "Come on!"

They take off, running farther and farther away from the smoke.

…

They end up in a Boston alley to catch their breath.

The boy, who's skinny and pale and kind of reminds Anni of a kicked puppy, shyly introduces himself as Magnus.

She replies with a short "Anni."

They sit in silence for a little longer before Anni speaks again.

"What the hell were you doing, anyway? Did you set fire to something?"

Magnus blinks at her for a second before his face crumples and he starts to cry.

Anni sits uncomfortably, reaching over once or twice to pat the boys shoulder awkwardly. She waits until he's done, then speaks quietly.

"We'll sleep here tonight, okay? I'll get you a jacket tomorrow. You got anywhere to go?"

The boy hesitates, then shakes his head.

Anni shrugs and leans her head back. "Well then, Magnus, guess your homeless now."

She shoots him a smile, something that has become rare for her, and nudges him with her foot.

"Like me."

…

She stays in Boston for a few months. The entire time, Magnus stays at her side. She teaches him a few things so he can survive on the streets. She likes the kid. He respects her privacy and she respects his.

A month before she leaves, Magnus meets Hearth and Blitz, two homeless guys Anni is almost certain are gods, or at least sent by gods. She stays a little longer to make sure.

When she leaves and finally makes it back to Houston, she decides she is done with being afraid. She remembers something she hasn't thought of for a long time.

"… _and in the event my daughter, Annaliese, turns eighteen, I will to her our house, 347 Bluebell Court, and all the savings in my bank account." The lawyer read._

Anni hadn't really been paying attention, but her aunt had later explained. When she turned eighteen, she would get her old house and the money her mother had lovingly saved for her.

So to keep herself alive until then, she went into work.

She found a job at the town pool concession stand. It didn't pay much, but she was given free food and free showers. She had a place to stay. For the first time in a long time, Anni allowed herself to hope.

She had had the job two months when she came back to her decrepit apartment and found her best friend standing in the hallway.

…

It was silent on the roof for a while as Leo absorbed this news.

"So you're a demigod, huh?"

"Yep."

"Any idea who?"

Anni's quiet for a moment before she answers.

"Zephyrus. God of the West Wind."

"How do you know?"

"While I was at camp, I learned how to somewhat control my power over wind. I knew it wasn't Jupiter, and so I kinda narrowed it down from the four wind gods. Then, when I was looking up his name, I realized it couldn't be Favonius, because if it were, Lupa would have come for me. It has to be Zephyrus."

They are quiet for a moment before Leo pulls away from her and sticks out his hand.

"Leo Valdez, son of Hephaestus. Nice to meet you."

Anni laughs and takes his hand.

"Annaliese Brown, daughter of Zephyrus. Likewise."

They shake once before dissolving into giggles.

 **There you go, guys!**

 **Have all your questions been answered?**

 **If not, PM me and I'll answer them or clarify things.**

 **Sorry about the sudden switch in my writing style. My brain was malfunctioning when I wrote it.**

 **Love you!**


	25. Chapter 25

**Whats up?**

 **I know, I know, this update has been FOREVER in the making. I blame writer's block.**

 **Anyway, here it is, guys!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own PJO. Or HOO. Or anything written by Rick Riordan.**

 **General P.O.V**

Their giggling was interrupted when the smell of poppies filled the air.

Anni made a face. "If this is who I think it is…"

Slowly, the two turned around.

Hera stood there behind him, looking regally composed and calm and not at all unruffled by the death glares she was receiving. And Anni had a good death glare.

"Hera." Muttered Leo, standing.

"Juno." Anni said calmly.

"You will rise when you address me, Annaliese." Hera said sternly.

Anni rolled her eyes, but stood.

"Soooo." She said, drawing out the word. "We gonna get an explanation, or are ya just gonna stand there and look impressive?"

"It was necessary."

"Right." Snapped Leo. "It was totally necessary to make me believe my best friend had been murdered."

"You do not understand, Leo Valdez. It was for your own good."

"What about making me believe Leo was dead?" Anni snapped, crossing her arms and glaring at Hera.

Hera resolutely did not look at them.

"I had to. I needed Leo to stay focused on the mission. He would have never stayed focused if he still believed you were alive and waiting for him. As for you, Anni, that was also necessary. I had to make sure you wouldn't look for him. You meeting here was a mistake. I had stopped watching Anni and had no idea she was here."

She sighed at the glares she was still receiving.

Anni marched toward her. "You better pull a disappearing act right about now, dammit, or I don't care how immortal your ass is, it's going over that ledge."

Hera got the message and disappeared, but someone else appeared in her place.

"Heeeeeyyyyy, Leee-ooooo."

Nick, obviously very drunk and possibly also high, stumbled towards them, waving a knife in front of him. The years and the drugs had not been kind: he had a serious beer belly; his hair was falling out in weird places, and he was missing several teeth. The ones he did have were yellowish green.

"Knew you'd come back here, baby…" Nick slurred. He stumbled, cursed, then lunged.

But Leo was not the scared kid Nick had last seen. He was a demigod, a son of Hephaestus, a hero of Olympus. The days where he might be scared of Nick were long gone.

His time training in Camp Half-Blood kicked in. He sidestepped and grabbed Nick's wrist, keeping the blade away from him. He yanked hard, pulling Nick off balance, then placed a hand firmly on Nicks back and shoved him.

Nick stumbled forward, gashed his own leg with his knife, and tripped over the ledge, falling to the hard concrete of the alley below.

He died on impact.

Anni and Leo stared at each other for a moment before a slow grin spread across Anni's face.

"No different from killing a really stupid monster, huh Leo? It's his own fault, showing up drunk off his ass and high as a kite." She reached up and ruffled Leo's curly hair.

"Come on. Let's go inside."

…

The next day, Anni came with them to see them off.

"I'm gonna miss you, Leo." She said softly, hugging him goodbye.

"You sure you won't come with us?"

"I'm no hero. This is your quest, your job. Just promise me one thing."

"What?"

"When you're done with this quest, when your eighteen, come find me again, shithead. You know the address."

"Promise, bitch." He hugged her again.

As the ship rose, Leo looked over the side and saw her, standing there with her blonde hair whipping all around her face, a hand raised to shade her eyes as she watched them go.

...

"Babe, you look nervous."

"Nervous? Who's nervous? I'm not nervous. Are you nervous?"

"And now you're rambling." Calypso smiled fondly and looped her arm through Leo's. "It'll be fine. She's your best friend."

A small house came into view at the end of the road. Leo took a deep breath and walked towards it, Calypso beside him.

The distance to the house seemed far too short. Before Leo knew it, he was standing in front of the door.

He stood there staring at it for a little longer than Calypso thought was appropriate, so she reached forward and knocked sharply three times.

"Sunshine!"

"What? You weren't man enough to do it yourself."

"What if she attacks me again?"

"Then I'll die laughing right here on this porch."

The door opened. Anni, her hair cut to brush her shoulders, stood in the doorway, standing at her full adult height of five foot five. She looked clean and happy and well-fed.

She saw Leo, and a slow smile spread across her face.

"Hey, shithead."

Leo grinned at her. "Hey, bitch."

She leaned forward and hugged him. He hugged her back: a hug a very long time in the making.

Finally, Anni stepped back, her eyes skipping to Calypso. A teasing grin spread across her face.

"And this is?"

"Hi." Calypso smiled, holding out her hand. "I'm Leo's girlfriend."

Anni raised her eyebrow at him with a sly grin.

"Come on in, you two. Let's catch up."

…

FADE IN: ONE YEAR LATER.

 _Leo and Anni are sitting on a blue couch in a modestly furnished living room. Leo looks devastated, his head bowed, hands clasped in his lap. He's dressed in a red T-shirt and blue jeans with gaping holes in the knees. He's older now: his hair is a curly mess and there are muscles beneath his shirt. His army jacket is lying next to him._

 _Anni's voice comes from behind the camera._

ANNI: So, you gonna look at the camera or not?

LEO: ( _glaring at his hands_ ) Not.

ANNI: ( _heavy sigh_ ) Look, the therapist said this would help. Like talking about what happened during your day, cataloging how things are going, will help you move on. So come on. Help me out a little, huh?

 _There's a pause before Leo huffs._

LEO: Fine.

 _He swivels to face the camera._

ANNI: ( _relieved_ ) Okay, so since this is your first one, say your name and age, okay?

LEO: ( _to the camera_ ) I'm Leo Valdez and I'm nineteen. The bitch holding the camera is my best friend Anni. She's also nineteen.

ANNI: Damn right I am, shithead. Why are we doing this?

LEO: ( _glaring at his hands again and mumbling_ )

 _There's another heavy sigh from Anni, and suddenly the camera is turned to face her. Her hair is pulled into a sloppy bun and the nape of her neck, and she's wearing a green shirt and only slightly nicer jeans then Leo's. She looks half exasperated, half worried._

ANNI: Hi, I'm Anni, and I'm TRYING to help Leo get over Calypso.

 _There's a sound like a walrus giving birth from behind the camera. Anni rolls her eyes._

ANNI: That was Leo. See, he and Calypso were together from the time he was… what? Fifteen? Sixteen? A long-ass time, let me tell you, and Leo kinda got her off of an island and stuff, so you would think that would be enough for her to stay with him, but see, Calypso was under this curse that caused her to fall in love with EVERY guy that washed up on her island… including Leo. So apparently, she figured out a couple years ago that she DIDN'T ACTUALLY LIKE LEO, so instead of trying to talk to him, she just kinda grew more and more distant until she UP and FUCKING DISAPPEARED, leaving a nothing but a letter explaining everything, a bunch of cutesy pictures, and Leo, with a broken heart. So, after he got all depressed, a bunch of his friends and I all pooled our money and got him a therapist, who suggested video diaries would be a good way to help him work through his grief.

 _It's obvious Anni is angry on Leo's behalf. The camera spins to face Leo, who's now crying silently._

ANNI: ( _worried_ ) You okay, Leo?

 _A slow shake of the head. The camera is suddenly tilted sideways as its set down, and Anni comes into view, hugging Leo tightly. He hugs her back, crying softly._

LEO: I thought she loved me… I really thought she loved me…

ANNI: ( _gently_ ) I know. We all did. ( _rubbing his back_ ) That's it. Let it out. Its gonna be okay.

 _She glances at the camera and reaches for it._

ANNI: I declare the first video diary OVER.

 **Sorry if you guys ship Caleo, but I'm not a huge fan.**

 **AND NO, ANNI AND LEO WILL NOT GET TOGETHER.**

 **I might as well tell you guys that now.**

 **This story is reaching its end, but there are still a few more chapters to go!**

 **Love you guys!**


End file.
